The Silver Rose
by Tao-Senpai
Summary: Winry has done something Ed will never forgive her for, nothing will stand in her way. WinryXEd does not follow FMA plot line
1. Chapter 1

The Silver Rose

By Demonica!

Hi people! This is another one of my lovely fanfics! In fact its my first time doing a fanfic other than Inuyasha, hahaha, anyway this story will be a little weird since I'm not going to have anything to do with the original full metal Alchemist episode line! Nope! But they do still live in the same place…so in essence this will be a weird fic with an even weirder author! And yet I still don't own FMA but I will give props to Arakawa-san for coming up with this!

Chapter one! I know hurry it up already!

Edward and Alphonse Elric stood watching as their train rolled into the station, this was the last time they would be seeing Resembool for a long time if Central had any ideas in store for them.

"ED!" A female voice called as a young blonde boy turned around. Winry was running towards the station her platinum hair flying. She was carrying a heavy looking bento box as she managed to catch up with the brothers. "Here, Granny made you some lunch to take with you" she said offering the treat to the two boys. Al's armour clanked as he turned around.

"Thanks Winry! Even though I can't eat it, it's the thought that counts." He said as Ed looked at the ground, Winry watched the emotions flicker in his eyes before a steel barrier went up making his golden eyes turn to a flat yellow. The subject of Al's spirit possessing a suit of Armour and the fact that Ed had a mechanical right arm and left leg had always been a wound they brothers would never forget.

A train whistle blew loud and clear as the train pulled into the station, Ed and Al started forwards to get on.

"Do you really have to go?" She asked as Ed stopped and turned back towards her.

"Winry-, I-" Ed stuttered as al boarded the train. He looked down at the poor girl, they had only been home for a day to get his auto-mail checked and repaired, and she seemed so deflated by their leaving. "You know I have to go back" was all he managed to get out before the train's whistle blew and Al called for him to get on the train.

"It's too bad you can't stay longer, just try to come back once in a while or call or write!" Winry called as ED made a mad dash for the train that was pulling off of the platform.

"Bye Winry!" The brothers called, and then they were gone.

(&&$$.

Winry sighed, stubborn boys they never had the decency to at least give her a call or write a letter! It had been six months since she had last seen the brothers, SIX!

She kicked off her boots as she entered her house, Pinako stood at the stove stirring some stew for dinner.

"Those boys never stay long do they?" she said as Winry flopped down into a chair, peeling her coveralls off of her shoulders and arms. Pinako turned around and waved her wooden spoon around as she began to talk "Really! They should at least let us know where they are!" Winry tuned her grandmother out as she looked at her left arm.

A few months ago she had been in an accident; coming back from a neighbouring village they had been attacked. There had been two people a strange man in what appeared to be a spandex top and skirt and a divinely beautiful woman, all she could remember was screaming before whiteness and then, it was the gates.

"Winry are you even listening? Your foods up" Pinako stared at her oddly across the table as the girl in question smiled and picked up her spoon. Pinako continued to stare at her for a few minutes before returning to her own supper.

"I've decided to go to Central for that internship with that auto-mail mechanic, hopefully he will know someone that can get me to Rush Valley" Winry said quietly as her grandmother shrugged.

"It's your life do as you please. Just promise me one thing Winry." Winry looked at her grandmother. "Don't go chasing Ed and Al, they have set their path, you need to set your own and it has nothing to do with the philosopher's stone." Pinako stared at her granddaughter, a young woman of 16 with a vile temper and unmatched wit. Some days she worried about Winry but if she had made up her mind then so be it.

Winry looked at Pinako,

"I will not chase the Elric brothers but I am still Ed's mechanic so I will be seeing him from time to time and of course sending you half of all of the money I make off of the pair" Winry smiled as Pinako finally felt her heart ease a little bit. The girl had sense, and wouldn't run off into dangerous situations, but that was the last thing on Winry's mind. "Well, thank you for dinner but I'm going to go and begin packing so I can catch the late train tomorrow afternoon and hopefully be in Central by Saturday morning." And with that Winry flounced off upstairs, her silver auto-mail arm glinting against the black of her tube top.

()&$#&$#.

"Are you sure you want to go Winry?" Pinako asked as the pair stood on the train platform, watching the train bound for Central roll in.

"Yes, I know what I'm doing. Don't worry about me too much" She smiled and hugged her grandmother one last time before boarding the train. She waved to the fading figure of her grandmother before the train rounded a bend and she was gone.

Winry had been on a train before and knew the long, boring ride would take an overnight stay and probably well into the next day before they would reach central even though the train made no stops along the way.

She sat at a window and stared out of it at the green countryside flashing by at lightning speeds. She remembered a trip with Ed and Al once where they had taken a train, but it was pretty boring since all Ed did was stare off into space and ignore her. While Al read and kept quiet, but this time it was even more boring since she didn't even have someone to sit next to, to annoy.

She might as well get a head start on sleeping that would kill most of the trip. Winry lay across the seat and drifted off into snooze land as the train continued to rattle along its dusty track.

()&(&&$$ (sorry for jumping around so much but who wants me to ramble about someone sleeping?)

Winry awoke when the train pulled into the station at central, Tumbling out she looked around the platform finding the exit. There wasn't much to say about Central other than it was huge and littered with people. Winry walked down towards the river where hopefully she would be able to find the Mecha guild markets and the guy she was supposed to be working with Shane.

She asked a few people in the market if they knew which shop was his, they all pointed to a dingy shop with grimy front windows. She thanked the men and opened the shop door; a little bell over it rang clearly as she stepped into the gloom. The shop itself wasn't dirty but it was messy, littered with metal, screws, bolts, and tools.

She set down her gear and stood waiting. No one came.

"Hello? Mr. Shane? Are you here?" she called; a muffled sigh came from a small work table as a mound of rubble moved. Winry jumped as a tall wiry man with ancient looking glasses turned to look at her.

"Oh! Yes you must be Miss Rockbell! What a pleasant surprise. I take it that you want the internship am I right?" he fired off questions quickly. Winry nodded as he showed her to the room she would be staying in. It was at the top of the old rickety house and looked over a good section of the city including the Military staff's dormitories which were only a block away.

Shane left and told her that she would start her training when the shop opened later that morning. Winry sighed and looked out over the city in its morning gloom, there wasn't much to behold in its dingy alleyways and cobble stoned streets yet her mind drifted to that of a certain pale haired boy more than likely asleep in his room or reading at the library again. Shaking the thoughts from her head she decided a sandwich was in order as she marched back downstairs.

The kitchen was immaculate, as if someone had cleaned it a hundred times over but not dared to ever cook in it. After checking all of the cupboards and finding only instant noodles and half a jar of pickles, she decided that it would be her job to cook for not only herself but also for Shane.

He had no qualms about what she wanted to do; he even gave her some money and pointed in the direction the food market was. She thanked him and set out on her quest for groceries.

The market was only a few blocks over as she made her way through the crowded streets, only occasionally getting sidetracked by interesting pieces for auto-mail. Eventually she made it to the market; it was beside the docks where sweaty sailors called to each other as they unloaded freighters or yelled at people to view their wares.

Winry loaded up on everything from apples to zucchini, just as she was paying for some fresh trout a red coat caught her eye. She thanked the shop keeper and pretended not to see the Elric brothers as they stepped out of a café.

Panic flooded her, she had to hide! They couldn't know she was here! Looking around she spotted a dusty bookstore and ducked inside, quickly she went to the back of the store and pulled a dusty volume off of one of the shelves. Quickly thumbing through it she heard the bell over the door tinkle as it opened. Glancing over she noticed the Elric brothers had entered, if Ed found out she was in Central he would drag her back to Resembool kicking and screaming if need be.

Winry dove into the book, reading the first couple of pages to find that she had picked out a basic manual to Alchemy! Her face blanched as she continued to read, dammit just her luck she ran into an alchemy bookshop! A plump old woman with fiery hair talked with the brothers as they made themselves comfortable and took a seat at the front of the shop as the lady brought tea and cakes forward.

But, strangely Winry didn't notice as she finished the book. It was like something had been stirred inside of her; she hastily reached for the second volume and quickly read through it, memorizing circles and patterns.

"Hey isn't that Winry?" Al's voice floated over the shop as she pretended to ignore him.

"don't be stupid Al, Winry is back home in Resembool" Ed said as he glanced up from his tea and looked up at the similar girl that he knew was safe and sound in Resembool not in the crime capital of the world. Besides, she had an auto-mail arm and both boys knew Winry didn't. Both boys left it at that and returned to questioning the shop keeper.

Winry finished reading the fifth volume and grabbed the sixth before she remembered she needed to get back to the shop. Looking at the price of the books she nearly dropped her groceries, they were so cheap! Which was the exact opposite of what she had been expecting. Each book was only two sens, amazing considering even her cheapest books at home had cost her 30 sens each.

She carried the stack of 15 volumes to the cash, paid and left, both Elric brothers stared at her as she left. Both trying to decipher if she was some Homunculi or not, but she passed as she marched out of the door and quickly back to the shop.

When she entered Shane was already busy with his first customer, repairing a piece of faulty wiring in an auto-mail shin.

"Ah! Winry you're back! And you have groceries I see! Go set them down then come give me a hand!" Shane waved her off as she set the heavy grocery basket down on the kitchen table and removed her stack of alchemy books. She stashed them in her room before pulling on her coveralls and marching downstairs.

Work with Shane was nice, he was quite friendly and all of his clients seemed to think Winry was adorable in her baggy coveralls and gloves.

'If they only knew why I'm here they wouldn't think I was adorable' she thought to herself, as she continued to work on a piece of childes auto-mail that he had dented running around a cement fish pond. Why did most of the auto mail seemed to be made for the male half of the population? She shook her head the reason was obvious, they were too rash and ended up making poor decisions leading to the loss of an arm or leg or worse.

But that was not the reason she had come to Central. Winry calmly breathed through her nose as Shane chatted to the client's auto-mail she was repairing. The reason she was in Central was to keep a tab on Ed, she wanted to make sure that he wouldn't get himself killed within the next couple of months. After her accident she was hell bent and determined to make sure nothing else happened to Ed or Al. But them almost catching her today was enough to drive her into super secrecy, what would happen if Ed found out that she wasn't in sleepy Resembool? He would definitely be angry and want to take her back, especially if he guessed the next part of her master plan.

To become a bio-mechanics engineer for the military.

Sure she would indefinitely be called to action when a war came, but at least she could keep track of her brothers.

"Winry? Shall we get that refitted?" Shane asked as she finished screwing the plate back onto the ankle. She nodded; the kid was already unconscious so that he wouldn't feel any pain. They reattached the leg and put the boy into the recovery room, where his father waited for him to awake.

Shane took the next client as Winry began supper, it wasn't anything great just some rice and chicken. She threw the rice into a timed cooker and the chicken into a frying pan with some BBQ sauce( sry I'm really hungry and haven't eaten in 12 hours) She finished just as Shane entered the kitchen, drooling as she laughed and set out the food on the table. Winry swore she had never seen someone eat so fast except for Ed when he came home. By the time she was halfway through her first helping Shane had gone back for thirds.

"So Winry are you planning on going into the military for engineering?" Shane asked as Winry nearly choked on her rice.

"Why do you say that?" she asked her voice giving nothing away as he shrugged.

"You just seem like a girl on a mission, plus the fact that I have some serious connections into the engineering facility and this is the first time anyone's ever accepted my offer for an apprenticeship" He had finished he helping and was reclining in his chair. Winry shook her head and smiled.

"You're a smart man Shane I do want to get into the Engineers Guild but I also want to be able to get to Rush Valley and to get an apprenticeship there." Winry calmly explained as Shane watched her carefully as if he were sizing her up. Winry returned to her dinner, but funnily didn't seem hungry.

"I have a deal I can make you. You can become my apprentice and I will try to get you into the Engineers Guild, But you have to help me get to Rush valley. I don't like living in the city, there's too many thugs around and plus I would make a killing if I could sell some of the parts I have hidden around here." He waved his hand at the house. Winry considered this; he would be able to get her into the military where she could keep an eye on Ed and Al. Yet, she would have to get money to send him to Rush valley. Would the military give her that kind of money? It was worth a try.

"Deal" she said sticking out her hand as Shane shook it firmly. Step one of her plan had come into action.

&(&&$#&$#&&.

Over the next couple of week's business picked up, everyone wanted to see Winry's eastern designs and the strange mixtures of compounds she made them out of. Her secret Alchemy training continued as well, she returned to the old bookshop quite a few times in order to attain new books and some advice from the elderly shop keeper.

She never once ran into Ed or Al until the day the military showed up outside of Shane's door one morning.

Bang, Bang, Bang

Winry heard the door knocker clang noisily against the wooden door to the shop.

"Were closed!" She yelled as more banging ensued. Shane shook his head and got off of his chair and opened the door. Winry looked around the corner of the kitchen door as two men in their royal blue military suits walked into the small shop. They talked in hushed voices before Shane nodded and turned towards the kitchen.

"Winry? Could you come here please?" Shane called as she scraped her chair back and walked out to the front. Both military men seemed surprised to see such a small girl walk towards them.

"Yeah Shane, what would you like?" she asked as she raised her eyebrow at the military men.

"These guys are here from the military, Today was my inspection day and unfortunately it means that you also have to show them something since you're my apprentice" Shane seemed slightly embarrassed by this as One of the military men rubbed his eye behind his thick glasses and yawned as his buddy gave him a nudge.

"Sure, I've been working on something for a while now anyway. It was for a friend of mine but I can always give it to him later" She trotted upstairs to her workbench where she had been creating a light Titanium arm and leg for Ed. The parts were hard to come by and were very expensive but she had managed to do it. Even though she had cheated slightly and changed some iron bolts to titanium. Plus it had taken her two whole weeks to readjust the suspension of the joints so that they could handle a hard collision and so that the wiring didn't become ensnared as ripped she had encased them into different titanium tubes like arteries and veins.

Overall it had taken her forever to make it and it was the equivalent if not better than she had make for her own arm.

She brought them downstairs, still carefully placed in a spare suitcase that she had found in the attic. Both men seemed sceptical but after she showed them the contents of the suitcase, they were eating out of the palm of her hand.

Shane seemed impressed as well before both men nodded to one another and one excused himself from the shop. The other man busied himself with inspecting the shop, the day before they had cleaned it from within an inch of the old buildings life, even the grimy windows now shone as clear as a mirror. A few minutes later the bell over the door tinkled and another officer came along with the first.

"Ah! Winry! So nice to see you again!" Officer Hughes said as he walked into the shop. Winry smiled, as she bowed to the officer.

"Nice to see you again as well Mr. Hughes" she said as he looked over at the auto-mail she had created.

"I see, well Ed will like this present very much. Isn't his birthday coming up in a few weeks?" Hughes scratched his beard before returning to the matters at hand. "Well, we like your work and want you to work for the bio-mechanical engineering guild with the military. What do you think?" He asked, Winry honestly thought she had died and gone to heaven. She would be working with the best of the best bio-mechanical engineers!

She opened and closed her mouth a few times before Hughes answered for her.

" Send Hawkeye over to help her collect her stuff and then put her in um… a dorm room… then I'll okay this with Mustang! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Hughes laughed manically as he hauled the two officers out of the door with him, leaving the two auto-mail mechanics in the dust with the jaws almost to the floor.

Shane was the first to break the silence.

"You did it Winry! You impressed Hughes! You did it!" he cheered as Winry jumped into the air.

"Yes! Yes! I did it!" She jumped around in a circle doing her patented happy dance. Before long she stopped and ran upstairs to get packed, a couple of minutes later Lieutenant Hawkeye walked into the small shop and helped Winry pile all of her gear into one of the military's cars.

She waved to Shane and told him what was in the fridge that he needed to cook soon or it would spoil and he reminded her of the deal. She flashed him a smile before climbing into the car behind Hawkeye.

O(&&(&&.

The military head quarters were not what she expected them to be, except for the enormous buildings and enormous offices she was overall amazed by the architecture that had gone into creating all of the buildings.

"Winry, look at the ground or you'll fall" Hawkeye had told her a dozen times but never once did she listen. Finally they made it to Colonel Mustang's office. He was a man of power and he damn well liked it from what Winry saw, Hughes stood next to mustang's desk as he smiled when Winry entered.

"I see" was all Mustang said as he leant over to confer with Hughes. After a moment he spoke again. "Let's see this amazing auto-mail Hughes won't stop raving about" He waved his hand as Winry opened her suitcase again. Mustang's eyes widened slightly as he traced a finger over the delicate basic transmutation circle that was etched into one of the fingers on the auto-mail arm.

Mustang's head shot up as he stared at Winry with a fierce look in his eyes.

"Do you know any alchemy?" he asked as Winry stared him down.

"I've read volumes 1- 50 on basic Alchemy by R.K Stones and a few other books that explain the basics other than that... I have no experience using it" She said as she watched Mustang's face betray astonishment and then amazement before he coughed into one of his gloves.

"Well, the military could use you. You would be the first Female to enter Bio-mechanic engineering but hey we let a kid become a state alchemist. So I guess I'll put your papers through to the Fuhrer for processing. In the mean time you will be assigned to um… Dormitory number 379 in building M." He said no more as everyone saluted, including Winry before they left.

Winry was ecstatic, not only had she been able to manage to get into the military but her room was 379 M, but Ed and Al's room number at the residence was 382 M so that meant that they. Would. Be. On. The . Same. Floor… crappers.

That meant she would have to confront Ed with the truth before she had finally managed to get a firm hold in Central, and possible devastating her plan before it even took root. Hawkeye turned to look at the now strangely quiet girl.

"Is something bothering you Winry?" she asked as Winry looked up at the lieutenant.

"Can we try to keep my arrival a secret from Edward and Alphonse Elric? I don't want them to know I'm here until I give the okay. They think I'm still back home in Resembool not cavorting around Central." Winry finished as Hawkeye nodded.

"well the good thing is, is that they left two days ago for a mission and won't be back until next week so I think that will give you enough time to get the papers worked out so you will be firmly rooted here. May I ask what your plan is?" Winry hesitated before explaining the fact that she was tired of working for seniors and people who became caught in silly accidents in the country and didn't have the money nor the need of two auto-mail mechanics out east. So she came here for an apprentice ship for a month or two and had tried to aim for getting into the military so she could keep a closer track on her surrogate brothers whereabouts.

Hawkeye listened intently, like only a woman can adding in the right comments in the right places, her only question came at the end.

"You want to sacrifice your freedom to protect your brothers even if it may mean not only your life but crawling through some hard spots and nasty slime to figure out that in the end it was a waste of your time and they died anyway?" Winry took her time to answer thinking the question through.

"It doesn't matter what I have to go through as long as I can keep them relatively safe, and know that they're okay, or even going with them just to make sure nothing becomes too damaged or they are hurt too much. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I miss them I wish I could help them more but I know Staying in Resembool is a waste of my talents." Hawkeye seemed pleased by this answer.

"You and I have the same motif to keep going. We have to protect the ones we love, even though it may mean sacrificing ourselves in order to do so." And with that the lieutenant left. Leaving Winry to ponder over her words.

()&)(&)&&$$$#!$&(.

Word travels fast around a military campus, Winry found out, since by the next day everyone knew who she was. The 16 year old girl that managed to get into the bio-mechanical engineering guild. Some said she was impressive, some thought the military was getting desperate that now they were even hiring women and young girls into the military. A single well placed shot that knocked off the offenders hat and trimmed his sideburns ended that theory.

But most of the time Winry locked herself in either the library or her room, working away on either a new fusion of titanium and chrome auto-mail, or reading more about alchemy and its basic fundamentals.

Within a week, her papers returned giving her the code name Silver Rose, and a state alchemist pocket watch except whereas Ed's was silver, Winry's was a deep emerald green the colour of the bio engineers.

What Winry found most depressing though was the fact that Ed and Al had been gone a solid two weeks and hadn't returned. Winry wandered the old back alleyways of the city, still continuing her apprenticeship and giving Shane the money he needed to transfer his shop to Rush valley if needed. She had received a horde of cash after the Fuhrer had seen the auto-mail she had created.

Yet, that night she had an unexpected phone call from Pinako.

"Hello?" Winry said as Pinako's crackly voice came over the receiver.

"Winry, Ed and Al are here at the house. Where are you?" She asked as Winry came up with something on the dot.

"I'm at the smithy in the next town over so that we can get some more steel and aluminium for the auto-mail" Winry concluded as she heard shuffling from the other end.

"So how are you dear? Are the parts done yet?" Pinako's voice crackled over the receiver. Obviously Ed or Al was behind her.

"Sadly not yet. The Steel it taking longer than normal to smelt. I think the boys here are getting lazy or there're too many girls around to keep them focused" Winry answered playing along. Pinako's voice cackled as She handed the phone over.

"hey winry!" Al voice said as she faked surprise.

"Al! wow I haven't talked to you in forever! This really sucks that I'm not home for one of your yearly trips" She said as she heard more shuffling.

"I know Winry we're sorry about the fact that we don't come home much" Al seemed sad but she knew what would cheer him up.

"Hey Al, isn't Ed's birthday coming up soon?" She asked as Al's voice ducked down to a whisper.

"yeah Next week but we'll be in Central then" he said as Winry's grin widened (tongue twister)

"I think we can work around that besides I have a present I think he'll like if he wants to be taller" she laughed as did Al.

"Well Ed wants to talk with you so I'm going to go" he said as she said goodbye to Al.

"Hello? Winry?" Ed's voice rang clear over the phone as she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey Ed! How the short guy doing?" she stifled her laughter as his curses grew over the phone. "you know I'm kidding right" she said after he finally calmed down enough to reason with him.

"Yeah, you are so not cute" his statement threw her through a loop.

"Um, yeah, well Ed I wanted to wish you a happy birthday even if I don't see you for another six months but I bet you will" she smiled at the hidden truth behind her words.

"thanks its too bad we came here when you're not considering I broke my auto-mail again" he held the phone away from his ear as Winry's own tirade started. "Shut –up for a minute! It's not completely broken, I just lost one of the bolts and can't left my arm at all. It's fine, Granny fixed it for me and were heading back to Central in the morning" Winry smiled at this.

"well then, its getting late here and most of the family is asleep so I better go, tell Granny and Al I love them." She said as Ed told her that he would.

"well goodnight Winry. See you when we see you" he said as Winry closed her eyes and smiled.

"Night Ed, remember I love you too" and with that she hung up leaving Ed standing rooted with the phone pressed against his ear.

)(&(&&$&$&()(&(.

Winry put her hands over her flaming face, why had she done that! She shrugged it off as just letting her mind take on its own cruise control at a bad time.

Crawling under her thin covers she curled herself into a ball and glanced at the clock on her desk 1:23 Am said the red block numbers as she thought about what was to happen in the next few days.

Ed was coming back to Central, She was in the bio-engineers Guild, Ed's birthday was in four days, She had an awesome present to give him. Not to mention she was going out tomorrow to get something for Al since the poor guy's birthday was still another 5 months off. But what really scared her was the confrontation she would have to have with the brothers, especially Ed and his temper.

Sighing she closed her eyes and let her mind drift as she found herself sound asleep within minutes.

)(&)()&($#&#$&&)&.

Hahahaha! First chapter done and the next, well if I get a review I will post another but if you all say my story sucks nya nya then fine! Ill go back to writing Inuyasha.

Well then until later!

Demonica (click the review button, it's the purple one on the left)


	2. WHAT!

The Silver Rose

By... Demonica

Well since you people are lazy in reviewing I will write another chapter cuz I have nothing better to with my time other than study (sigh) so here's chapter 2

Chapter 2… YOU DID WHAT!

Winry spent the next to days looking around Central, compared to what some people said it was like. Dirty, crowded and smelled slightly funny, Winry found it fascinating, crowded and still smelled slightly funny but she was having a great time.

The open air markets were her favourite as she shopped for little odds and ends that she would need if the occasion arose, she bought Al a small stuffed black cat with big eyes since she knew he loved cats so much. Ed's present was back in her dorm room under her bed where no one would find it.

Plus she picked up some pocky and some other herd core junk food so they friends could celebrate properly like they hadn't since they were little.

She arrived back to her dorm late that evening to hear heavy footsteps and a familiar clanking or armour coming up the stairwell she had just recently vacated. Silently she stumbled into her room and locked the door behind her, she watched through the peep hole as a weary Ed and alert Al stepped into their room.

Their voices echoed down the empty hall as she listened intently. Ed fumbled for the keys as Al leant against the wall adjacent to her door so he was almost blocking Ed from view.

"So Brother, your 16th birthday is tomorrow are you excited?" Al asked as Ed stopped looking for the keys.

"It would've been better if we could've spent it with Granny and Winry but I guess there's only so much we can do. We're stretching as it is when we drop in there, Mustangs not going to like it" Ed said as he finally grasped his key ring.

"Well Winry said she had a great present for you, she sounded really excited about it. We should go check the mail tomorrow to see if her package arrived yet." AL said as Ed finally found the key he had been searching for.

"Sure Al we'll go in the morning, but right now I need sleep" Ed disappeared into the dark gloom of their room as AL followed, the door cutting off their conversation from her prying ears.

Winry moved from the doorway and sat down on her creaky bunk, the wood groaning under her weight. Ed seemed sad that he wouldn't be able to spend his birthday with her and Pinako, but how would he take to her being in the military? She let out a long sigh as she grabbed her PJ's and her shower stuff, sticking her head out of her room, she made sure that Ed's door was firmly closed as she made her way to her dorms floor's only shower/ wash room. She entered the Shower section and turned on the hot water all of the way, since the boilers took forever to get hot water up to that floor as maintenanced her auto-mail. When steam began to billow into the room she turned back the water and stepped in relaxing in the hot water.

&()!&)&)!.

After 20 minutes she finished and wrapped an enormous beach towel around herself and fluffed her hair with a hand towel before she dressed in her overlarge t-shirt and black jogging pants. Now to get out of the showers one has to go through the washroom where the toilets were before you came to the sinks and then the door. Winry pushed the Shower door open and made it out of from behind the row of toilet stalls when the sound of running water caught her attention. Stepping out from behind the row of stalls she saw Ed standing in his boxers and a t-shirt washing his hands as plain as daylight, she stood like a deer stuck in an oncoming cars headlights as he glanced over at her, then went back to what he was doing before whipping around to look at her. His eyes widened as he stared at her like he was seeing things.

"Win-Winry?" He stuttered as she continued to stare before she remembered her arm. She shot a glance at it and was thankful that it was covered by her clothing and towel.

"Hey Ed, surprised?" she asked as a hundred different emotions flickered through his eyes before one coursed through all of the others anger, another was confusion before Al stepped into the washroom.

"Hey Ed what's taking u so long…" Al trailed off as he looked up to where his brother was staring at "Winry?" Al said as she waved and Al rushed over to give her a hug. Winry returned the hug before Ed pulled them apart and glared at her.

"What are you doing here?" He commanded as Winry glanced at him. He looked furious and he had right to be so. She let out a puff of air and dug around in her pocket before pulling out the green pocket watch and handing it over to him. Ed and Al's eyes both widened as they studied the watch.

"You're a, a,-" Al stuttered as Ed looked up at her Betrayal in his eyes as he thrust it back at her.

"A bio-mechanical engineer" Ed sneered as he reached up and smacked her hard against her face, Winry reeled back as her arm flew up to protect her face. Dropping all of her clothing as Ed stopped and took a step back, inhaling sharply, his eyes widening at the sight of the auto-mail. She heard their sharp intake of breath as she opened her eyes, her one cheek burned as she looked over at her arm glinting under the harsh fluorescent lights.

She looked at Ed, his eyes were wide as if he were fighting panic before he turned on his heel and fled from the room.

"Ed!" she cried as she took a step towards him then thought better of it and put her hands over her face, sliding down against the wall to the floor. She heard the telltale clanking of armour as Al sat next to her and put a heavy hand on her shoulder.

"I knew it, he hates me! I should've just stayed in Resembool and been a boring country mechanic!" She sobbed into her hands as Al grabbed her chin and made her look up at him.

"I know he doesn't hate you. He's probably is more worried for your sake than anything else. I mean the whole reason we never visited Resembool much was to keep you and granny safe from the military and from anyone who's out to get Ed or me." Winry soaked in this information as she gave Al a hug, wiping the tears from her face.

"Thanks Al, at least now I understand why Ed is so upset with me." She said as she got to her feet.

_But the real reason he's upset is because he's afraid of me getting killed_ she thought to herself as She smiled at Al.

"Winry? Can I ask you one question?" Al asked shyly as Winry turned around to look at him.

"Sure Al what is it?" she asked. Al fiddled with a snap on his armour as he looked at the floor in front of himself.

"Your arm. How- how did it get that way?" He asked as Winry stood rooted to the spot before she sighed.

"If you must know it was just after you and Ed had left us last time. After Ed had torn his bicep muscles from training with you." She said as Al winced. "But any way I went to the shop that I called Granny from when you were there yesterday. I was unfortunately caught in some of the machinery at the smithy. I was lucky to get away with just missing my one arm. It could've been alot worse Al. "She winced; she hated telling the brothers lies even if it was for their own good. But Al took her wince as most likely painful memories being dragged up.

"Thank you Winry, for telling me that. But why did you decide to get an auto-mail arm? Not just a prosthetic?" Al asked as Winry laughed.

"How do you think I would be able to continue as a mechanic if I didn't have correct use of my left arm? It was worth the pain Al, at least I can wiggle my fingers and use them to the best of my abilities" The smile had returned to her face as Al smiled.

"Oh, and Winry one more thing" AL said as she turned back to him.

"yeah?"

"Go try to cheer him up, I don't want him to be grumpy on his 16th birthday" Al said as Winry smiled, going in the direction Ed had taken in his mad flight. She followed the path of destroyed or open doorways to the roof. He sat across from her with his legs dangling over the building through the iron guard rail. She crossed and stood next to him, he didn't even give notice of her arrival. That stung, he must be really angry if he wasn't trying to make it up to her like they had when they were kids.

"Ed, look, I-I know the reason that you wanted me to stay in Resembool was to protect me from the brutality of the outside world. But, I didn't want that." She stopped and looked down at Ed, he was still giving her the cold shoulder as she sighed and bent over touching her forehead against the cool rail and draping her arms over it as well making her look like a limp marionette. "Ed I came to Central for an apprenticeship but my ultimate goal was to get into the bio-engineers. I know, like you, if they call on me to be part of the weapons system I'll have to go." She trailed off as she looked out over the city and all of its twinkling lights. "I'm not sure it's worth it but at the time it seemed logical. Heh now that I look at it I feel like an idiot." Tears began on the corners of her eyes and silently ran over her cheeks.

Two arms snaked around her and pulled her into a hug, she turned around and returned the hug, they stood there in each others grasp like they had when they were kids and needed comfort from each other.

"We only have each other Ed, remember that" she whispered as more tears coursed over her cheeks. Ed didn't reply as his grip tightened making their auto-mail clank slightly against each others. Both teens glared at the mood ruining appendages. They stood there a little while longer before the wind picked up and both teens agreed to go back inside instead of getting hypothermia.

Al was waiting for them in his and Ed's room, a book open on his lap as always. Ed didn't say a word as he picked the book off of his brother's lap and flopped onto the sofa with his back facing her ignoring not only her but Al as well. Winry felt tears beginning to brim on the edge of her vision as she calmly slapped on a happy face and turned towards Al.

There wasn't much to talk about other than their findings had gone badly and there wasn't much that could be helped by the fact that the Philosophers stone was just about impossible to attain without the sacrifice of human lives.

Ed completely ignore Winry the entire time she was there but Winry could fell the tension coming off of him in waves, she excused herself politely with the excuse of still having a few more things to do before bed before she quickly hurried from the room, tears threatening to fall.

As Winry closed her room door she crossed to her bed and curled herself into a ball. Her confrontation with had gone as wrong as it could've, now he was beyond pissed at her, she was in a strange town and the only person who she knew was Al that she could really rely on.

How had everything gone so wrong so fast?

The question echoed around in her head as she said it quietly to herself before sobs overtook her.

&)((&)&(&)(&.

"Brother you're hardly being fair!" Al snapped as Ed just shrugged and kept his back to his brother.

"I can't change what has happened Al, the least I can do is try to keep her safe and if I have to ignore her to do so then I will." Ed stated finalising the conversation. Al stood and whipped the book he had in his lap at Ed before storming out of the room and down the hall.

Ed was beyond reasoning at that point, Al told himself over and over again as he made his way down to Winry's room. Standing outside he listened to see if she was asleep or not, soft sobs echoed through the door as Al felt anger sweep through him.

_How had everything gone so wrong so fast?_

Winry's whisper nearly made Al break down into his own fit of tears; this was how she really felt. That this mess with Ed was somehow her fault. Glaring at the door he turned and marched back to his room, throwing the door open with a boom he stormed in and grabbed his older brother roughly by the scruff of his shirt and proceeded to shake him until some sense ran back into his clouded mind.

"Al! Al! Stop! You're going to break my neck!" Al stopped as Ed panted and put a hand to where his neck had received the most damage.

"GO APOLOGISE" Al thundered as Ed looked at his brother stunned, rarely did Al raise his voice and it was almost never at him. Al inhaled deeply as he let Ed go, "I'm sorry it's just that, thanks to your pigheadedness Winry is in her room crying, Ed, CRYING. Because you have the indecency to ignore her for her own 'safety'. Do you know the reason she came to central?" Al stopped as Ed looked at him.

"Yeah she came for an apprenticeship, but that's besides the point Al you saw her arm! That happened because I wasn't there to help her, it's my fault. I have a feeling the loss of her arm has something to do with Envy. I can feel it." Ed looked down as Al shook his head.

"The reason she came to Central Ed was to make sure we were okay, to make sure we didn't get ourselves killed, She and Granny are the only people we have left! So if this is what makes her happy then damn well Ed let her be happy! It equivalent exchange Ed, Her sacrifice for your happiness, all she wants is for you to be happy." Al felt as if he was the one who should be apologising to Winry as he said this, not Ed.

Ed looked at the floor quietly as his brothers words sank into him and curled around him like a boa.

"The thing is though that I couldn't help her get through the pain of her auto-mail surgery. I have a feeling that she didn't just get auto-mail by a fluke Al there has to be something else. I wasn't there to help her its my fault she's ended up this way!" He ended shouting ass Al was ready to slap his brother or shake him again.

"The reason why Winry has that arm is because she was involved in an accident at a smithy and their machines. She's lucky to be alive Ed! Do you what she could've lost if the smith's hands hadn't pulled her away in time? You can't save everyone Ed! Some things are out of your control!" Ed whipped his head up as he glared at his brother.

"THE POINT IS, IS THAT I DIDN'T SAVE HER FROM HARM" Ed crumpled to the floor his hands covering his face. All of his careful planning for it to be wasted, all his time spent trying to keep Winry and Granny safe but for it to wind up like this. There was only one thing left he could do.

Standing on wobbly legs Ed moved out into the corridor and down to Winry's room. He lay his head against the door, he could hear her soft sobbing as he felt more hatred towards himself as he gently knocked.

"_go away"_ was her throaty response as Ed sighed and turned the door knob and entered her room.

None of the lights in her room were on and the thick emerald curtains had been drawn to black out any light the city might flood in with. He followed the sound of soft sobs until he found the corner of her bed, stubbing his human foot off of the frame. A low set of curses streamed from his mouth as he hopped around the room holding his foot.

Winry gave a tired laugh that sounded more sob like than anything else. Soon the pain stopped and Ed sat on the bottom of her bed, the rise of her leg against his hip. She didn't stop her crying as he sat there, listening to the eerie quiet and her sobs before he reached over and touched her hand.

"Winry please stop crying you'll make yourself sick" he said as she bit back another wave of tears. "Anyway listen I wanted to say, well I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't try to change what you want to do." He laughed bitterly "Equivalent exchange, Happiness should come from doing what you love and getting there along the way. A price for a price and by my stupidity I overlooked it" He glared at his arm in the darkness. Winry had stopped crying as she sat up for the first time in an hour and wrapped her arms around him.

She felt Ed stiffen and then relax as he moved so that he was lying propped against the head board by her pillow. She felt a furious blush rise to her cheeks as she lay next to him with her head on his should like they had when they were kids.

"I forgive you Ed, you were just mad that's all." She smiled sleepily as a lazy smile crossed his face her cedar scent already sending him into a doze.

"G'night Ed" Winry muttered into his shirt, inhaling his cinnamon scent with something darker under it, but pleasant none the less. But Ed was already asleep.

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Bwahahahahahahhahaha! Another chapter for all you fanfic reviewers, sheesh you Otaku are crazy! Anyway since th network was down I'm eternally sorry for not emailing you back but right now im over tired and so hyper my leg is twitching so now I leave you! and since is having bug issues ill see if i can get the next chapter up Asap.

Review!

Until later!

Demonica


	3. birthday boy!

The Silver Rose

By Demonica… I don't own FMA and if I don't say this again in another chapter I still mean it!

Chapter 3… sorry if u guys r reading this but the site is down and I can't upload for another couple of days  so I'll have a ton of chapters to upload after this.

Winry felt warm, more so than she should be with the thin sheets which covered her dorm bed. Rolling over she felt herself roll into something solid but warm at the same time, pleasantly so. Closing her eyes she dozed as she felt a familiar rhythm of someone breathing lifting her head ever so slightly.

She cracked open a blurry eye and gazed up to see Ed, sound asleep and snoring softly, with his hair pulled out of its braid and standing at some very obscure angles. She covered the giggle that tried to surface as he reminded her of the little boy she had known for so long and had pounded with more than a few wrenches. Ed gave a snort and rolled over, his stomach exposed to the cool air in her room making him stir and grope for some blankets. Winry gently handed some more of her thin sheets towards him as he moved over onto his side, pretty much spooning himself against her.

A fierce blush rose into her cheeks as she tried to move away from him, only to find that both of their legs had become hopelessly intertwined. So, she let herself doze. Thinking back over the past night and how tired not only she had been but himself as well. His apology and well his overall sincerity, it had been nice for Ed to actually say something to her especially after he and Al almost never said anything even between themselves. Like it was taboo to do so, Ed moved closer to her as she felt herself stiffen them relax before going back into a heavier doze where even the buzz from the air conditioner sounded far off like a cicada on a hot summers day.

"Hey Ed? Are you awake?" Al voice carried across the room as Ed shifted behind her. Winry faked sleep, which wasn't hard considering how deeply she had been dozing.

"Wha-?"Ed muttered as the clinking of Al's armour came closer. Winry felt the hair from her forehead being smoothed back as Al spoke up again.

"She's stronger than she looks Ed. I mean she even became a Bio-engineer. Well anyway, Happy birthday, oh and Mustang says he has some important information for us but he wants to see us tomorrow since it's your birthday today." Al seemed to be all smiles as she felt Ed sit up behind her only to fall back onto the bed again thanks to their legs.

"Um, Al? Can you give me a hand? I seem to be stuck" Ed said sheepishly as Winry mentally rolled her eyes. The sound of Al crossing the room reached her ears before she felt herself being lifted from the bed. Out of instinct she flailed, managing to knock poor Al's head off, and scare him enough to drop her. She waited for the crash where she would hit the hardwood floor but it never came.

Instead she found herself snugly in Ed's arms, her legs sticking out over his auto-mail arm to try to compensate for her extra weight. Everyone sighed as she was set back onto her feet.

"Well good morning guys" she said shyly rubbing her neck from the minor whiplash she had received. Ed and Al laughed as Ed stretched and Al retrieved his head from across the room. "sorry about that Al, I'm not used to anyone being able to pick big old me up" She was more embarrassed than anything as Al told her it was an accident and no harm was done.

"Well, I'm starved. Let's get breakfast" Ed said as he started to walk down the hall towards the cafeteria.

"Um…Edward? You might want to put on some pants and maybe a shirt?" Winry asked as Ed looked down to find him sporting his light blue boxers and half of a black wife beater. Ed looked down and nearly died as he hurriedly stomped back into his room to change. Al and Winry laughed as she grabbed her clothes and changed into her usual tube top and coveralls, the top tied about her waist.

The guys met her in the hall, Ed in his usual black clothes and red cloak his hair messily tied into a braid. Winry sighed as she grabbed Ed by his hair and proceeded to untie it and comb it through.

"What are you doing?" Ed asked as she gave a tug on his head making it snap back instantly.

"If you don't look after your hair you won't have any to attempt to look after" She said as Ed glared at her.

"Milk" was all she said as she felt a shudder run from his head to his feet. She smiled confidently as she finished tying his hair into a long golden braid.

"Brother I think that's the nicest I've ever seen your hair. I think you should let Winry braid it more often" Al put in as Ed shot her a glare. Winry just pretended to stare out a passing window as he did this.

Soon they made it to the cafeteria where everyone turned to look at them before going back to their food, some whispering and some laughing. The trio got their breakfasts and sat at a table just out of ear shot of the others.

"So what are we going to do today Ed? It's your birthday" Al said as Winry snatched an apple from Ed's tray.

"I was thinking of going around central, you know just looking at stuff and maybe sneaking into the sunset park for a bit of fun with the fireworks." He said rubbing his hands together deviously. Winry rolled her eyes.

"We definitely need a cake, even if it's just to throw at Ed like we did when we were kids." Everyone laughed as a picture of a pouting 5 year old Ed with red and blue icing smeared all over his face and hair entered their minds.

"Yes good idea Winry" Al said as Winry stole half of Ed's bagel from him, he in turn stole her orange. They continued to discuss what would be a good plan for the day when a young man walked over and bowed to the Elric brothers.

"May I speak with this young Lady for a second?" he asked as Ed sized him up, his scrutinising gaze making even Winry feel self conscious.

"Fine" Ed huffed as Winry stood and walked a little ways away from the group.

"I'm sorry I haven't introduced myself. I am Rien l'attention." He said with a small bow.

"Winry Rockbell, so may I ask why you are pulling me away from my breakfast sir?" she asked, she didn't like this guy there was something about him that was chillingly familiar, but for the moment she ignored it.

"Well I was admiring you from afar so I decided to come make your acquaintance" he said as Winry nodded.

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you" she said as she gave Ed a hand signal behind her back that they had perfected as preteens when a few of the older teen village boys would hit on her.

A bottle of milk flew over Winry's head and hit Rien in the head, there was a moment before someone else stood from another table and yelled.

"FOOD FIGHT!" within seconds the air was thick of food. Winry dove behind Ed and Al's overturned table as she gave Ed a you're –an-idiot-and-I'm-going-to-kill-you-later look as they attempted to sneak away from the scene of the crime. Trays held over their heads, or using Al as a shield.

Finally they made it outside as they stood and stretched, Ed had managed to escape except for a bit of yogurt on his jeans and Winry had a bit of cream cheese in her hair but it could've been worse.

"Thanks for getting me out of there Al, but no thanks to you Ed, at least has some restraint towards milk." She glared at him as Ed sighed and put a hand over his eyes, counting to ten slowly.

"You know I hate that stuff!" he snapped, so much for his rage control.

"Well now wonder you're so short! If you don't drink milk you're going to stay short forever!" she yelled as Ed glared at her.

"If you didn't notice we're now almost the same height!" Ed snapped as Al looked between them. Ed was right, Winry and he were very close in height now, but Ed was still shorter by three or so centimetres.

"He has a point Winry" Al said as she turned her glare on him, "But Ed you're still shorter" he added to the end as Winry smiled triumphantly.

"Anyway… are we going to have some fun around the city or not?" Ed asked as Winry smiled.

"I thought you would never ask!" She said linking arms with both brothers and walking towards one of the trolleys that went towards the downtown area.

Now the downtown shopping/ exploring trip was a force to be reckoned with, not only did they buy a massive birthday cake but they also bought beer, which they were chased after for not having valid ID but they got the beer anyway. Winry bought both of the boys enough firecrackers to level the dorm if need be as well as Al buying Ed a special type of pen that could write in 14 different coloured inks and could change colours when twisted.

The entire day went as a success as the three teens snuck around an eight foot high gate. On the other side was the Imperial garden that sat on the top of the highest hill in Central. Ed signalled to both Winry and Al as Al gave her a flying boost over the wall. She caught herself one handed on a tree branch as Al came over, scaling the high wall.

"Um, Ed? Some help here please?" Winry called as he looked up. Winry was stuck in the tree, her boot caught in the crotch of the tree (I'm serious that's what it's called ppl!) so that she looked like a confused bat. After he righted her on the ground they snuck over to the ornate koi pond, Al oddly silencing his armour as he snuck with them.

There were no guards in this part of the garden since it was so old and had been left to go back to the birds and beasts. The trio spread out their goodies as Winry sniffed at Ed who cracked open a can of beer, and laying back against one of the small frog statues that littered the garden.

"What? Come on Winry I'm now of age have you ever even tried it?" he asked wagging the can in her face. She rolled her eyes.

"Of course I have, but liquor can turn even the most sensible of men into barbarians not to mention the fact that it tastes like grass clippings" She barked as Ed shrugged and took a log drink just irritate her further.

"So Winry have you ever been to such a beautiful place?" Al asked as Winry gazed around herself. The garden was beautiful especially in the setting sun as the fireflies began to blink and the non faulty lanterns were giving a yellowish glow.

"No, I love it. How did you guys find it?" she asked as Ed coughed on his beer and Al rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Well we were chasing this thief who appeared to use alchemy and ended up here, the only problem was, was that the thief wasn't using alchemy just a flashlight with some cellophane paper over it and flicked it on and off when he wanted to stun the police." Al said calmly as Winry nodded, they were leaving out parts but it was not her place to demand that they tell her every gory detail.

"So? I want cake. Hey Winry pass the cake" Ed said as he finished his can of beer and turned it into a small teardrop shape of solid aluminium.

Winry fished around for the cake, finally getting it she set it out in front of him. Al pulled out some candles and lit them; there were 16 in total as Winry lit the last one. They sang happy birthday and cut the cake, Just as Ed was about to eat his Winry pushed his face into the cake so that green icing covered his face and hair. Everyone had a good laugh before it became an all out war.

Winry dove behind Al, using him as a shield. Al whipped a piece of mutilated cake at his brother who returned fire before both boys ganged up on Winry.

"NOOOOOOO!" she yelled as she ran for the cover of the maples, throwing cake as she went.

"There's no escape Winry!" Ed said as he tackled her to the ground, firmly pinning her and shoving a handful of cake into her face.

"I surrender!" she cried as Ed laughed and licked the cake off of his hand, she tried to calm herself down a bit after her laughing fit as she licked her lips. The icing was nice as Ed stood and helped her to her feet.

"Hey Al! Did we destroy the cake totally?" Ed called as Al appeared around the corner with a slightly damaged cake with chunks missing but still good. The message now read 'H-py Ri-ay- D' Winry laughed.

"Hoppy Reeay D" She said mulching the icing into Ed's hair as she passed him. The group packed up what was left of the cake and the beer and once again snuck back out before heading back to the dorm.

Ed and Al snuck around the side of campus as Winry opened the dorm halls main door, securely locking it behind them as they made their way up to the 7th floor.

When they reached their rooms Winry told them that Ed would open his presents in their room as she went back to hers to collect the custom made auto-mail she had designed.

Ed and Al opened the door to their room to find it trashed, papers were everywhere. Books were torn and pages missing, their beds were overturned and the couch looked like it had been stabbed so many time that the stuffing was coming out like white blood onto the ground. Feathers from torn pillows were everywhere and their windows were wide open.

"Who-who could've done this?" AL asked as Ed noticed a piece of paper on the floor in red writing. He snatched it up as he read the formal script.

_How many seconds does it take for a woman to bleed to death? What are the core elements in her blood? Answer me this alchemist._

Ed blood ran cold as he reread the line again and again before it struck him.

Winry.

He tore out of the room as he slammed Winry's door open, her room seemed to be in the same state as his as he searched for her.

"Winry! Where are you?" he yelled as panic edged up in his voice. He looked around as he saw a faint dark line running over the hardwood floor. His heart raced as he followed it out to the patio doors. The glass had been smashed and it crunched under his boots as he looked at the figure lying hunched against the rail. "Wi-Winry?" he reached out as he heard something behind him, the swishing of long hair on silk.

"You thought that I wouldn't notice eh? Punk?" a shadow moved across from her bed detaching itself and turning into something revealing a human. Rien l'attention's shadow became apparent as he stepped into the light cast by the street lamps. "A little boy like you moving in on my girl. Heh, you should know better besides it's not her I'm after." His smile became insanely wide as his eyes took on a feral gleam. "You sent my brother Barry to the execution docks, now I shall do the same to you!" A long knife came from out of no where as Ed dodged to the right, snatching Winry and rolling her out of harms way.

"What the hell is wrong with you people?" Ed screamed as the knife made close contact with his left arm. He dodged again as Winry opened her eyes and screamed, making Rien falter enough for Ed to slap down a transmutation, creating a cage from the ironwork of the building.

"I won't give up that easily!" Rien shouted as he threw his knife, catching Ed on his left shoulder. A cry of pain tore from Ed as Rien laughed manically, Winry yanked the knife out of the boy and threw it back, nailing Rien's shirt to the wall behind it.

Ed slumped towards the ground; the blood loss was already making his vision blurry meaning that Rien had hit a major vein or artery.

"Ed? Ed? Can you hear me?" Winry turned him over as she stared down at his pale eyes. He was loosing too much blood. Ripping the bed sheet she applied pressure to slow the bleeding.

Ed watched as Winry moved above him, as he felt excruciating pain erupt from his should where she pushed her makeshift bandage. He felt himself being lifted as someone smoothed back his bangs. Winry smiled at him as she kissed his forehead, muttering something before the world mirrored itself in black.

) &) &+) (&+) (&$#$# ($U&+.

Winry sat next to Ed's bed for a good portion of the night before she decided to sleep in the empty bed across from him. Al came and went, usually sporting a new book when he returned or a snack for her.

Late into the morning Ed rose, he couldn't quite remember the finer details of the night before but he did remember his shoulder. It throbbed uncomfortably under his hospital tunic. Ed looked around the room, Al wasn't present but Winry was. Curled on her side with her wrench resting under her hand as well as being dressed in the same clothes she had been the night before, blood smeared across the front of her coveralls.

Ed sighed and leant back against his pillows, the nurses had been great in fluffing his pillows and the fact that his breakfast had already been set out for him made him mood improve even more. Shovelling down his food, he hurled the milk bottle out of the nearby open window and settled back against the pillows as a nurse entered to change his bandages and apply more salve that stung like a (censored) causing him to yelp loudly.

Winry jumped as she looked around the room, fully alert until her eyes rested on Ed being re-bandaged and cursing up a storm.

"Oh be quiet you wuss, you went through the auto-mail surgery without so much as a tear and now you're almost sobbing from getting a wound cleansed?" She shook her head, unbelievable.

Al re-entered the room, carrying some miso soup and a bowl of rice for Winry as well as a new book.

"Hey Ed the nurse says we can leave as soon as you want when you feel like it" Al said as Winry hungrily scoffed down the food he offered.

Ed nodded before getting up and standing, he stretched then looked for his real clothes. They had been neatly folded and set onto a vacant chair as he hurriedly pulled them on.

"let's get out of here!" he said as he booked it past Al and into the hallway. Making sure not to look at anyone as he made his trek back to his room. Winry and AL finally caught up with him as they rounded the corners into their dorm. A cleaning crew had been sent to repair the damages and everything seemed as it had before the incident. That's when Winry remembered the reason why she went to her room last night. Al seemed to catch on as he directed Ed to take one of the beds and proceeded to give him his present of the pen.

Ed was delighted to see such a nice pen, it kept playing with the colours as Winry walked into the room carrying the suitcase and a small bag. She handed the bag to Al who squeaked in delight and cuddled the fluffy stuffed kitten. Then she turned to Ed who was looking at Al with a soft expression on his face.

"Ed, I know that you don't like when people call you short. So I decided to give you this for your birthday" she said handing over the case with her auto-mailed arm. Ed raised an eyebrow as he set the case down onto the bed and opened it. Winry heard a gasp from both brothers as Ed looked up at her in amazement.

"I can't accept this Winry' Ed said at last as Winry's head shot up. Ed stared back to her.

"Why not?" she asked as Ed shrugged.

"It's too good for me besides I would just beat it up. What is it made out of silver?" Ed said tapping the arm. Winry felt tears rise behind her eyes,

"It's Titanium with a chrome coating over it. I couldn't make it any stronger or lighter than it is" she snapped as she was about to turn and leave the room. Ed's hand shot forward and gripped her own.

"Winry I didn't know. Please, forgive me" he said as he looked at the floor. The tears in her eyes dried immediately as she gave Ed a hug which he returned.

"So… shall we get this on you?" Winry asked as Ed flinched. She knew how painful the nerve connection was but he nodded all the same. Within 10 minutes and a round of screaming both of Ed's new appendages were firmly attached.

"Wow Winry these really are light" Ed said testing out how light the metal was by waving his arm around and running around the room. Winry laughed as the trio headed outside, to test Winry's new design. Little did they know that something else was lurking just ahead of them, something that would more than likely change their relationships forever.

)(&(T)&()$#&.

There you go, another chapter! And since I have a essay due in two days I might not be updating for a while but I will try! So now it's upload ad then bed (passes out)

Until later

Demonica


	4. Mission Impossible

The Silver Rose

By Demonica…. Eat Cheese!

Chapter 4… P.S. I'm super hyper over here and need to burn off ideas Muahahahahha!

"Mr. Elric! Ms. Rockbell!" A man in a uniform came over to them, panting as he wiped his fat brow on his sleeve. Ed stopped his round of combat with Al and put his shirt back on (Author walks through with mop, stop drooling!) as Winry stood and offered the man a water bottle. He drank for a few minutes before straightening and then bowing. "The colonel wishes to see all of you in his office at this moment" he then turned and walked away. Winry stared as Ed stretched and wiped the sweat from his own forehead.

"Curse you summer heat" Ed mumbled as the trio set off across the lawns. Winry was perfectly happy in the sunlight, especially in her long yellow sundress. Ed kept stealing glances at her as she walked in front of him beside Al, leading the way to the main offices. Watching her long tan legs as she walked, and the way her hair swished as she walked, then the glint of auto-mail caught his eye. Well that ruined it, Winry turned to look back at Ed who seemed to be studying something in front of him in the dirt rather carefully.

The office building was jinormous as they walked through different sectors before coming to a stop in front of a set of lacquered doors.

"Might as well get it over with" Ed muttered as he shoved one of the doors open and walked in. Winry followed cautiously as she saw the colonel sitting with his feet propped against his desk, Hawkeye giving him a disapproving look. Winry took a seat on one of the large green sofas as Hawkeye handed her a stack of papers. She glanced at them, there were train tickets, a map and a date outlined in highlighter.

"This is your next mission Ed, and Winry is going with you, god knows you could use your mechanic" Mustang wiggled his eyebrows as Ed's eyebrow twitched slightly.

"Thanks Mustang, we'll be going now" Winry said icily, finishing the conversation and dragging Ed out of the room by the scruff of his neck.

"This isn't finished Mustang!" Ed yelled after they had rounded the corner and were starting down the stairs.

"You can be a real embarrassment sometimes Ed" Al said keeping pace with Winry as Ed sulked. The trio stopped at the bottom of the stairs and leafed through the mound of papers Hawkeye had given them. "It seems that we have a rogue alchemist here, that's causing trouble in a city in the north." Ed said as he handed the paper to Al who scanned it quickly before handing it to Winry.

"So when do we leave?" Winry asked putting the paper back and tucking the report under her arm.

"Well the next train north leaves in an hour!" Ed shouted as they flew back to the room. Winry tossed her clothes into a duffle as she grabbed her repair kit from under the bed and slinging it over her shoulder. She met the guys in the hall as they al ran for the station. Which happened to be halfway across town; they made it just as the train pulled into the station issuing a whistle. Winry hauled herself onto the train as Al gave her a hand.

The inside of the train was packed, as they searched for an empty seat, people staring at them or whispering behind their hands. Winry found a booth near the back of the train as they settled into it. There wasn't much to talk about as the train sped along its tracks. It would be a solid four days of travel until they reached Neige town. That happened to be along the northern border which was always cold and snowy.

Sighing Winry closed her eyes and rested her cheek on the side of the window, she hated train trips. They were always so long and boring, especially since Ed and Al never talked and stared off into space for hours at a time.

(An hour later)

"Do you guys want to play cards?" Winry asked as both boys jumped.

"Um, sure Winry. Just let me find them." Al said searching around inside Ed's suitcase. They found a deck and folded down the collapsible table. "So what do you know how to play?" Al asked as Winry laughed.

"I taught you guys all of the cards games you guy know remember! We would spend hours at the kitchen table playing crazy eights and Texas poker" Winry and Al laughed as Ed seemed to finally come back down to earth.

"Brother, would you like to play?" AL asked as Ed shrugged and picked up eight cards.

"Crazy eights?" Winry asked as she picked up eight cards as well, Al copying. Ed nodded as he turned over the first card.

(Four hours later)

"Aw man that was my last dumpling!" Ed whined as Winry somehow managed to get a full house and he only had four of a kind. Winry laughed as she snatched his dumpling and ate it right off of its stick.

"Don't be such a sore loser Ed" Winry said as Al dealt the cards again. Ed pouted like a five year old as Winry picked up her set, glancing over at him she was reminded of their childhood and how Ed always sulked when he lost a game or fight. She handed over one of the dumplings she had been collecting off of him.

Ed looked up at her confused as she took a bite out of one.

"I can't possible eat all of these, here have some" She said pointing to the plate mounded with food. Ed dove in as Al gave Winry an appreciative nod. She just smiled and looked out the window. So much had changed in so little time, and here she was with her friends again travelling to some foreign destination.

"Hey Winry? Are you going to call?" Ed asked breaking her out of her daydream. She looked at the bids, Ed had four dumplings and Al had put in a few pieces of hard candy.

"Sure" she said and put her wrench down on the table. Ed and Al sucked in a breath.

"I fold" Al said as he flipped his cards. Two jacks an ace and two queens, a good hand. Winry raised her eyebrow at Ed who sighed and threw his cards in as well. He had two aces and a pair of twos and a three. Winry laughed as she flipped her cards over. All she had was a pair of twos a three, a four, and a queen.

Ed and Al's mouths dropped open as she swiped up the candy and the dumplings and her wrench.

"Winry!" they both yell as Ed tackles her to the seat and proceeded to tickle her. Laughing and gasping she begged Ed for mercy, but he refused planted firmly on her hips as he tickled her senselessly. After a few minutes Ed stopped and gave her chance to breath, her chest heaving as she panted. Al coughed as Ed and Winry realised their current position. Each untwining themselves from one another and sitting at opposite ends of the seat, fierce blushes covering both of their faces.

It was going to be a long, long trip.

(Six hours later)

Winry was sound asleep across Ed's lap. Her hair splayed out over the seat as she had her hands fisted in Ed's red coat that was draped over her small frame. Ed had his head reclined back against the window as Al had a book across his lap, reading.

"Brother? Why did you let Winry come with us?" Al asked, startling Ed out of his doze. He looked down at the sleeping girl; she seemed so fragile, so terribly innocent in the ways of the world. Ed sighed and glanced out the adjacent windows.

"Because if I didn't I would've hated myself more than I already do" Ed said in all honesty as he ran his human hand through Winry's golden hair. Al looked at his brother carefully; Ed had been through so much, he himself as well but there seemed to is something quiet seriously changed by their adventures in Ed than in Al himself.

"Hmm… Ed stops being an idiot and give Al his truck back." Winry muttered as she managed to turn her head so that it rested more on Ed's stomach than lap. Both brothers had a good laugh as the train whistled north.

&$#$#().

"That train trip took forever! And I'm freezing!" Winry whined as she rubbed her arms for warmth. "By the way, where are we exactly?" Winry asked as Ed handed her his spare red coat, even if the sleeves were a little too short and it came to her thighs instead of knees.

"Were in Itamikuk. Its so far north that even in summer it snows" Al said as he fished a book out of his armour. Ed snorted and kicked a snow bank, the fluffy stuff spraying up in all directions.

"Lets go find this rogue Alchemist and get this over with" Ed sighed as the brothers began to leave. Then Al stopped,

"Where's Winry?" Both brothers looked around too see her poking the snow bank gingerly and looking amazed at the fluffy white crystals of ice stuck to Ed's coat.

"This stuff is amazing!" she said as she rolled the snow around under her hands. A deep laugh came from behind the group as Ed turned to see a very heavyset man in a deep maroon coloured fur jacket and sunglasses.

"I take it you're all from the south?" he said with a heavy accent. As they all nodded. "Then come with Rago and I'll show yeh to the Inn." He said waddling away from the station in snowshoes.

The group followed, nearly blinded by the whiteness of the sun reflecting off of the snow. Before long a cheery village that looked like it belonged in a snow globe appeared from behind some drifts. The Inn was very comfy, with plush chairs by a massive fireplace and a bar and tables for diners as well as the upper storeys converted into separate rooms.

It turned out to be that Rago was the son of the owner of the Inn, A cheery big woman with arms like tree trunks but a pleasant face and a kind but firm attitude. She welcomed them with hot cider and a roaring fire. She didn't even mind if they were state alchemists. As long as they didn't cause a disturbance or interfere with the cooking or cleaning staff she was fine. She even leant them some information she had learned about the rogue alchemist.

"Yesh, he comes in here one dayz and just blows the arse end outta me Diner! Crazy sort he ish, wears a black tri cornered hat, green coat and them fancy leggings made of deer hide. Dangerous sort he ish, an' he blows up me Inn cuz' there was some alchemist here on vacay. That's all I got on 'im. Some of the trappers might know. They'll be by abou' supper." And with that she left back to the kitchen.

"So he blows up part of her Inn because of another state alchemist taking a vacation up here was within his reach. Looks like we have someone like scar on our hands" Winry said as Ed and Al shuddered.

They had all taken to lounging by the fire until the snowstorm they had arrived in blew itself down a bit so that they could see four feet in front of themselves.

"Well we can't do anything until this snowstorm dies down or the trappers get here. Either one" Ed said as he lay across his chair in a boneless teenager way. Winry and Al nodded, there wasn't much to do in the Inn as the storm raged outside. Winry either cleaned or made new auto-mail and the brothers read and read.

"Ok I need a break" Ed said jumping off of his chair and walking over to one of the windows, a huge blast went off just as Ed reached the window. Sending him flying backwards and landing on Winry.

"Ed are you okay!" Winry asked as he wiped blood from a cut on his forehead.

"That sneaky bastard!" Ed snapped as he jumped out of the hole the blast had made. Ed looked around, a few feet down the street was the rogue alchemist, in the clothes that the Inn keeper had even said he was sporting the day he blew up her Inn. "Hey you! Do you think you could get away after blowing up someone else's Inn?" he shouted. The rogue turned to look at him, sunglasses reflecting snow and yellow teeth gleaming.

"You must be Full Metal, I've heard a lot about the southern pipsqueak that is supposedly running with the military like an obedient puppy" HE taunted as Ed's ears poured steam.

"I'm not a pipsqueak, or a little person, so small that you need to have a magnifying glass to find me!" Ed shouted as he transformed his arm into a blade and dove at the rogue.

Winry and Al stood close by, watching as both men swirled around each other in a flurry of both snow and transformations.

"I have to admit you're pretty good for a puppy!" The rogue snapped as he dove at Ed, slicing his left shoulder open, crimson staining white snow.

"Ed!" Winry cried as Al pushed her out of the way as a ball of icicles was hurled at them. The icicles hit a supply shed, making it rain bits of shattered wood before Winry had hauled herself to her feet to see Ed taking a beating again.

"Why don't you jut roll over and die like a good puppy!" the Rogue snapped as his fist connected with Ed's jaw, sending the teen crashing through a barn door.

"ED!" Winry yelled as she slapped her hands together and dropped to the ground. Suddenly a cage of iron and ice formed around the rogue as Winry ignored him and ran towards the wreckage Ed hadn't arisen from yet.

Winry dug through the wreckage, she could hear the yelling from the rogue demanding she let him out before AL put him into a state of unconsciousness.

_Don't be dead, don't be dead, please dear god don't be dead!_

Winry pulled off more boards, nails puncturing her gloves or scraping across her metal hand with a terrible noise. Al moved over next to her and began pulling boards away with a frightening pace.

"Ed! Ed! Can you hear me?" she called over and over as they searched. Finally Winry pulled away a board to see Ed's mechanical hand sticking up through. "Al! I found him!" she called as AL lumbered over to attempt to pull him out of the rubble. A few villagers had come out of the Inn to see what the ruckus had been and were now helping to shift away the rubble and free the trapped animals from the barn.

The Rogue was cackling in his cage as Winry pulled a heavy board aside as the upper half of Ed's torso emerged. He blinked wearily up at her as she tried to climb over a board he held up a hand, his eyes going wide. Winry looked behind her as she saw the Rogue transmute the iron she had created into a large gun, which he was using ice covered iron for bullets.

"Winry!" both brothers yelled as the machine guns prattle of bullets ricocheting echoed in the air. Both of them watched in horror as Winry was struck by a ricochet and shot in the shoulder as she fell, covering Ed as best she could from the array.

A strangled yelp was heard before the air become silent. Winry rolled over and sat up, her shoulder was burning from where the bullet had nicked her and on her leg as well. Glancing at where the alchemist had been caged she saw Al with the man in a head lock as a few villagers put his hands in splints.

"Winry? Are you ok?" came Ed's tired voice as she whipped her head to look at him still beneath a pile of rubble. Shifting around he managed to pull another couple of boards off of him before she found why he wasn't moving. A support beam had fallen across him and the only thing keeping it from crushing his chest was his auto-mail leg and arm.

"I'm okay, I'll live but we need to move that beam before you're crushed." She said quietly as he nodded jerkily. "Can someone help me? Hello? Anyone! Hopefully someone that can move a beam!" She called as four hulking men climbed over the wreckage to see the predicament. All were amazed that Ed was still living as they hauled the beam up just high enough for Winry to loop her arms with Ed's and pull him to safety. As the beam landed with a boom Winry's legs gave out and she dropped to the ground. Ed's head banged against her chest as she landed hard on her backside.

"Winry?" Ed asked as he quickly got to his knees and grabbed her shoulders. Electing a hiss of pain from her as the wound, which had begun to clot, reopened and started to bleed profusely. "Winry, you're bleeding" Ed stated as he pulled his hand away from her left shoulder, her blood dripping off of his auto-mail hand and onto the white snow.

AL lumbered up beside the pair as Winry gave a dazed look around her, then to the patch of crimson that was rapidly growing over her baby-blue shit and the ivory snow.

"So I am" she said as she gave a weary smile. "I think my leg was hit too, I don't think I can walk" she said as Ed stood and lifted her onto his back with little effort. Al thanked the villagers and told them to keep an eye on the rogue as the trio headed for the Inn. Winry's larger form dangled over Ed's, her arms over his chest and feet almost by his knees as the plodded through the snow. Al kept a piece of cloth pressed over her shoulder wound as the skim on her leg was put into a crude bandage of Ed's black shirt.

"Thank you, Edward" Winry said as they entered the Inn. Ed didn't show any sign of recognition as the hostess immediately flew down the stair to assist them. Ed refused all attention. Even though his right leg was at a funny angle and he was bleeding pretty severely from the back of his head.

They took Winry into a separate room and began with calling the village doctor. A reedy little woman, shorter than Ed and twice as much patience, which bandaged her and cleaned the wounds. Then she had to cuff Ed over the head with her bag before she could get even close to him to take care of him. Al thanked the woman as Ed arose from the cuffing and began a litany of curses that made even the hostess' cringe and duck out of the room.

After a while things settled down, and Al went back to their original room to read again since Ed decided he needed sleep. Really, all Ed wanted to do was sneak next door and see if Winry was awake yet. Silently he slipped out of the bunk he had been placed on and crept out to the balcony that was conveniently the same as Winry's balcony, attaching both rooms together by the balcony. He crept up to the sliding door and listened. Silence. Sliding the door open he crept inside and closed the door behind him. His foot steps made odd squishing noises from the snow on the balcony as he grabbed a chair and plunked it next to Winry's bed.

She was out like a light thanks to all of the pain relievers the doctor had given her and was drooling slightly with her mouth open as she snored lightly, every now and then muttering about him or her wrenches. A smile came to his face as he remembered her words for the past few days.

_We only have each other, Remember that; liquor can turn even the most sensible of men into barbarians not to mention the fact that it tastes like grass clippings; What are the core elements in her blood?; You're a..a, Bio-engineer!; How did everything go so wrong so fast?; I couldn't save her!; ed stop being an idiot and give Al his truck back; oops, my bad; I win again!; I think I'm stuck…_

A small grin surfaced at some of the funnier memories as Winry rolled over and her face was right across from his, which was resting on the bed.

"Ah, Winry! You're so damn frustrating sometimes!" he sighed agitated. A small smile crossed her face as she reached out, groping for something. As soon as she touched Ed's auto-mail hand she fell quiet again. Her snoring returning; how could she be so damn cute? He thought back to the fights he and Al had had when they were kids about who would marry Winry.

Flashback

"No! She's gonna marry me! I'm older and smarter!" Ed snapped as Al glared at him.

"Nuhun! She's gonna marry me cuz I'm better looking than you and I'm taller!" Al stuck his tongue out at Ed.

"You're such a butt head!" Ed said coyly.

"Well you're a booger brain!" Al replied hotly as a fist fight ensued.

End flashback.

Those had been good times. He looked at the sleeping girl across from him. After this he would never forgive himself, he had let her get hurt, again. But she had put herself in this dangerous line of work for a reason, piped up a second voice which made Ed think about it. She had sacrificed her own apprenticeship so she could keep an eye on the brothers.

What an idiotic thing to do.

Yet at the same time relaxing to know someone cared. This was better than nothing he guessed. Sleep gnawed at the back of his eyelids as he gave her hand a squeeze before letting himself conch out onto the bunk over top of hers.

Winry cracked open her eyes as she hunted around on her night table for a glass of water. Her mouth felt like a desert as her hand bumped into a glass. Gratefully she chugged the water as she set the glass back onto the table and turned over, burying herself against the nice warm backboard of her bed…

Wait, since when did she have a backboard?

Winry cautiously looked behind her to see none other than Ed, sound asleep, a bandage around his head and a bandage across his nose and another on his cheek. He was deeply asleep, his breathing deep and level as he snored loudly.

No wonder she had woken up. Gently she rolled him onto his back as his snoring lessened and he groped for the warmth of her body as he spooned himself against her, sighed contentedly and went back to dreaming. Winry lay looking up at the bunk above her as she remembered what had happened over the past few hours.

Being an alchemist was slightly frightening, she concluded as she rubbed her stiff shoulder, thankfully the bullet hadn't gotten stuck and passed through with minimal damage, though it was going to leave a scar.

The click of the door lock caught her attention as she looked over at Al who tiptoed into the room, locking the door behind him. Winry and he stared at each other for a few seconds before Al's view shifted to Ed who was back to snoring, stomach hanging out.

"He really cares you know" Al said as Winry jumped, his voice was so loud compared to the silence in the room. She looked down at Ed, so peaceful instead of his I'm-tough-don't-push-me-around façade. She smoothed back a piece of his hair that he was trying to inhale.

"I know I just wish he wouldn't ignore me so much" she said smiling as Al looked at the floor. "What's wrong Al?" Winry asked as Al looked out of the window. Silence fell between them as Winry unconsciously continued to smooth back Ed's hair.

"Well, you have Ed and he has you. But, what about me? I mean when we finish with this quest for the philosophers stone? Where does it leave me? You and brother will have each other…" AL trailed off as Winry tottered out of her bed and plunked herself in Al's lap, hugging him as best she could while he was in the armour.

"You will always have both me and Ed, we won't ever forget you. But our main focus right now is to get you back to your original body." She smiled as she could've sworn she heard Al crying, giving him a bigger hug. "It'll be better soon, you'll see, you'll see" She crooned as Al stopped and hugged her back.

"Winry, its strange, when you hug me I can feel your warmth and your skin. I can't feel that with other people." He said quietly as she smiled and touched the helmet.

"We will figure out how to get your body back. Without the philosophers stone, if need be." Her words gave him confidence as she returned to her bed where Ed was snoring quietly.

"Thanks Winry, I have a few books that have references to body to soul transmutations but they say they were never successful." AL said with a hint of sadness.

"Well bring them to me and I'll read through them for good measure" She smiled as she lay down next to Ed, resuming running her fingers through his loose golden hair. "I will find a way Al I promise you that" She said and then he was gone.

Winry ran her fingers through the length of Ed's hair, pulling out the tangles and re-braiding it in a fancy triple braid. Slowly Ed began to wake up, stirring now and then, before settling down again as she returned to smoothing his hair.

The nurse entered twice, once to check on Winry and ask if she needed anymore pain killers, another to unwrap both of their bandages and check them before re-bandaging her shoulder and Ed's torso where a few ribs had been bruised.

Ed awoke around lunch time while Winry was lying next to him, reading since the nurse had prohibited her from moving at all for at least a day.

"How did I get down here?" he said as he blinked stupidly in the bright light. Winry marked her page and looked over at him, his golden eyes still foggy from sleep.

"I dunno, I woke up and there you were." She said cheerfully as he moaned and pulled the pillow over his head.

"How can you be so cheery in the morning!" he whined as she laughed and pulled the pillow away from him.

"Actually its lunch time, you slept the morning away" she reopened her book and continued reading. So far she had a thesis going about how to return Al's body to his soul without her having to give back her own body.

The law of equivalent exchange is flawed in three places. Reincarnation, death, and rebirth. There are the three places that are supposed to coincide with nature, but at the same time it was only talking about the body, not the soul which was supposed to die, be born or be reincarnated.

Therefore Al's body may be dead, but she could resurrect it with the right tools. Since the reason why Ed and Al's resurrection of their mother failed was because the soul was dead. So therefore she should be able to resurrect Al's body, the only problem was that for the body she would have to offer the gate keeper something.

"Hey Winry did you hear me? You just went off into a daze there" Ed's voice cut through as she looked at him. He didn't seem too concerned, just irritated at being ignored.

"Oh yeah! Before I forget, Al wanted to talk with you. I'm gonna keep reading since the nurse prohibited me from moving until further notice." She said as Ed laughed and climbed out of the bed, clothed in boxers and a loose black wife beater.

Winry returned to her plotting.

Something to give the gate keeper, since wrath was out in the world. The gate keeper should be slightly less picky on what it wanted. It would want a body if nothing else. But it didn't specify what type of body, just a body for a body. The clogs in her mind began to turn. A cow would be more than enough for the gate keeper to keep himself happy with in return.

As the day progressed Winry began to plan. The villagers had a ton of farm animals, no one would notice if a cow went missing. As for the circle to get to the gate it shouldn't be a problem, she had memorised the circle that she had been attacked on.

"Hey Winry! Supper time!" Al announced cheerily as he and Ed entered with two trays of food. Her smile returned as she accepted the food and tore hungrily into it. Ed and AL watched her closely as she debated on whether to tell Ed about her idea of helping Al. She decided against it. But after she asked Al to stay for a minute, she explained her idea to him. The only problem would be that Ed would be needed to transfer his soul out of the armour and into his body with a transmutation circle carved onto the body's chest. Al agreed that he would help and tell Ed of what they were planning and what they needed to do before he left.

The nurse allowed Winry up after Supper since her shoulder wasn't getting infected and was healing nicely. SO she slipped out of the Inn room and snuck to one of the nearest barns, stealing the oldest cow that was there and leading it back to the shed at the back of the Inn. Using some white paint she drew the transmutation circle that had led her to the gate.

"WINRY!" Ed's voice echoed through the Inn as she cringed. Leading the cow into the circle she heard the door bang open as she slapped her hands onto the circle. She felt Ed's hand grab her as she felt the familiar squeeze of the white bleakness before the gate. Suddenly it loomed in front of them, the cow mooed in fear as Ed let go of Winry's arm. She turned to look at him as he grabbed her chin and made her look at him.

"ARE YOU FUCKING OFF YOUR ROCKER!" he shouted making her ears ring as he let go and glared at her. She straightened and walked over to the gate. A little green imp sat on the third stair and glowered at them from under its dark brow.

"I am the new gate keeper what is it that you want?" He said as Winry cleared her voice.

"I wish to attain the body of 15 year old Alphonse Elric. I have brought this cow as payment for the body of the boy. I wish not for his soul for it is more than I can pay for. Is this acceptable?" she asked as the Imp eyed the cow hungrily.

"I will see" he said as an enormous volume as big as he was tall dropped in front of him. "Hmm." He said leafing through the pages. "It looks like that is acceptable. Flesh of another for flesh of another it states here." The Imp eyed the cow suspiciously.

"We would like to leave what is left of the cow to you free of charge. You may do as you please with is as long as we can have the body of 15 year old Alphonse Elric." Winry said as the Imp's greedy little eyes lit up.

"I shall fetch him for you right away" The Imp said disappearing into the gates, shutting tight behind him. Ed and Winry exchanged looks as the cow pranced nervously. A few minutes later the Imp returned, Al's shimmering body stepping out. At once the black hands whipped out, grabbing they cow and pulling ¾ of the body away and dragging it into the gate.

"Here is the body you wanted" The Imp said as Al's body was passed to the pair. As soon as Winry touched the body, all three of them were transmuted back to reality.

When they re-entered the world Al's body gave a gasp as it came back to life. Al was silent as Ed took a small knife and cut the circle into Al's chest. A horrible screech rose from the bodies lungs as Winry put a gag in his mouth and when Ed finished Winry grabbed Al and tugged him down knocking Al's helmet off.

"This is gonna hurt!" Ed warned as he clapped his hands together and slapped one on Al's armour and the other onto his body. An electric shock ran through both brothers as both let up a scream of agony. Winry watched in horror before she too clapped her hands together and placed hers over Ed's. The pain was excruciating, like someone had grabbed her insides and were trying to turn her inside out, and then nothing. A loud crash of armour falling deafened both Teens as Ed collapsed back onto Winry who also fell onto the ground. Ed had sweat rolling off of him as he gulped in huge amounts of air. Winry hugged him from behind as she hoped to god that her plan had worked out.

"Ed? Are you there?" Al's voice came out clear without the ringing of metal. Both of them looked at Al. He was lying completely naked, his chest bleeding from where the circle had been scribed.

"Al, oh my god Al" Ed whispered as he hugged his younger brother. For the first time Winry read Al's face as it lit up in pure joy. Both brothers hugged each other as Ed put his coat around Al. Winry smiled as tears ran over her cheeks and onto her skirt, both brothers looked at her as she smiled. Both of them hugged her as she broke down into sobs. Al lifted her chin to look at him.

"Thank you so much Winry. I will never forget this" he said as Winry dissolved into sobs as she clutched both brothers to her like they would disappear. They stayed there for an immeasurable moment.

"Oh guys" she said as they both hugged her back then let go. It had been so hard to get to this point, and she had achieved the impossible, she had gotten back Al's body with Ed's help. Now there was only one thing left, to regain Ed's and her normal limbs.

"Hey lets go inside I'm getting cold" Al said as he stood. Both brothers were about the same height with Al about four or so inches taller then Ed, both were just as she remembered them as kids. Save for Al now had a transmutation circle carved into his chest and Ed was no longer carrying a suit of amour around. Both brothers stopped at the suit of armour and picked up the pieces. Tucking them under their arms and carrying the bigger pieces they carried them back upstairs into their original rooms. Al kept checking himself out (that sounds really creepy), seeing how well his new body was and if it was in ok physical condition.

When they got to their rooms Ed and Al shoved the two twin beds together, creating a king sized bed as all three teens flopped onto the bed. Exhaustion overcoming them, so for the first time in 5 years Al slept peacefully. Ed stretched out next to Winry who lay between the two, she ran her fingers through Al's golden hair, it was coarser than Ed's but still amazingly soft. Ed leant against her back and looked over her at his brother, unconsciously wrapping his arm over her hip.

"Thank you Winry. You will never know how much this means to me" he said quietly. Winry smiled as she turned to look at him.

"I think I do" she said reaching over she gently brushing some hair back from his face. "I think I do" she said as she kissed him. It was a sweet and chaste kiss, before Ed could react from his moment of duh Winry had leant away and had settled down for the night. He breathing evening as he cleared his mind. Had that really happened? He wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, a faint trace of her vanilla lip gloss came off as he smiled to himself. It was real, he smiled and pulled her hair out of her face and gazed at both of them. Winry and Al, his family, and they would remain that way as long as he could keep it.

&()(!((().

There u go folks Im sorry this took Soooooooooooooooooooooo long but I have other obligations and plus the server out here in the booneys of Canada was down so I couldn't get onto the net.

Neway have a great long weekend (Canadians)

Until later

Ja!

Demonica.. crap! I have an essay due in 24 hours!


	5. MOVE IT!

Sliver Rose

By Demonica

Chapter 5… still don't own it! But I do own a FMA hoodie!

Winry woke to the familiar feeling of Ed's even breathing against her back and both brothers slight snoring as she lay curled on her side her head on Ed's arm and Ed lying on the pillow she had been on the night before.

Yesterday had been amazing and frightening. She wasn't sure of the outcome at the time, but since Imps were greedy little creatures she managed to swindle that particular one into giving her what she wanted. Plus he seemed like a fairly new Imp, not being accustomed to guarding the gate. Oh well she had paid the price, flesh for flesh, in a general sense.

Ed shifted behind her as Al rolled over, snuggling closer to her warmth. A smile crossed her face, if this moment could last forever she would give her soul. But all good things have to come to an end, Al cracked open a blurry golden eye as he looked up at Winry. A smile crossed his face as she ruffled his hair affectionately. How long had it been since she had done that? Al continued to smile as Ed gave a grunt and rolled over, pitching himself off of the beds and onto the floor.

Winry and Al erupted into laughter as poor Ed sat up from his position on the floor and looked around the room confused.

"Good morning Ed" Winry said as Al laughed and helped his brother back onto the bed. Both Winry and Ed looked at Al's less than appropriate state of dress and silently agreed to find the boy some clothes.

"Well that wasn't a great wake up if I ever had one" Ed muttered as he tried to straighten out his hair a bit. Winry helped Al since it had been 5 years since he had had hair to worry about, plus it was just as long as or longer than Ed's.

"I need to get my hair cut" Al said rolling some of the straw coloured hair between his fingers.

"Don't we all" Winry said as she looked at her own split ends, she hadn't cut her hair in almost a year and Ed really never did look after his hair even as a kid.

"Bah, who needs a barber?" Ed said as he grabbed a pair of scissors. Winry and Al both jumped on top of him, wrestling the scissors out of his hands.

"There is no way we are letting you cut your hair or ours" Al said as Winry managed to get the scissors and sat up holding them triumphantly.

"I wonder if this town has a barber." Al asked as Winry shrugged and went back to her own room to change, stashing the scissors in her pocket as she pulled on a pair of jeans and a maroon sweater, tying her hair back with her usual bandana.

When she went back she found the brothers had already gone down for breakfast, impatient morons.

She found them both pigging out as the cook laughed heartily and put another plate piled full of eggs, bacon and sausages in front of them. Winry sighed and stole some toast and eggs as she sat munching them half heartedly. She was more tired than usual for some odd reason as she looked out the window.

The snow had finally stopped and the sun had come out making everything look like a real live version of a snow globe. Even down to the little people walking their hairy beasts around with carts loaded and tarps covering them,

"Everything okay Miss?" the cook asked in her thick accent. She nodded and continued to look out the window. She had never felt this… well Blah before. There were things she knew she had to do but really she didn't want to do anything at the moment, her head felt like it was too overstuffed.

"Winry?" Ed asked as she looked over at him. He had stopped eating, his fork halfway to his mouth which had ketchup on the side. She turned her head to look at him and smile.

"Yeah I'm fine" She said as the cook nodded and went back to her kitchen.

Ed watched her for a few minutes; she seemed more so tired than usual. Like she had when she pulled an all nighter. Ed resolved to watch her closely over the next few days; there was something different in his usual cheery, fiery Winry today than there usually was. Even Al noticed it as his brother had stopped shovelling food into his face to look at Winry.

She sighed and munched on a piece of toast before putting it back onto the plate, forgotten.

"C'mon lets go see if this town has a barber" Ed said finishing the food and standing. Winry stood robotically and followed, she didn't even seem to notice the cold when they stepped out into the street and began their trek through the knee deep snow. The villagers were helpful and pointed them in the direction of the best barber in town. They passed a market where Ed bought some dried meat and fruit for their train trip back to the south. Al picked up a new deck of cards and a package of Pocky for everyone. Winry continued to act like a ghost, not even responding when Ed or Al asked her a question.

Winry kept her eyes sharp; something still didn't feel right about this town. Every now and then she'd see a flash of silver and the sound of fabric against wood. Some one was obviously following them. She kept herself very still, her mind seemed like their was a haze around it making it slower than it normally was.

"Winry?" She turned to look at Ed and Al; their voices seemed far off, like they were down a long tunnel even though they were standing next to her.

"Are you okay?" Al asked as he touched her arm. Shooting pain erupted from his touch as she jerked her arm away. Laughing voices erupted around her as she turned to see everyone from the military pointing and laughing. What was going on? Ed and AL stood there as well, laughing. But what scared her most was that Envy had his hand on Ed's shoulder and Lust had hers on Al's.

"It's a great thing that she returned you to your body, now get her" Envy said as he gently pushed Ed towards her. "I want her heart Edward! Her lovely little heart!" Envy's voice resonated in her ears as she tried not to scream and ran down a small alley. Ed and Al in hot pursuit.

She ran and ran and ran and ran. She couldn't shake the brothers off; it was like they were trained on her scent following her at every twist, every turn.

"Winry!" Ed yelled as she ran blindly, knocking over everything and anything that might slow them down. Then she was at a dead end.

"No, no, no, no!" she cried as the brothers caught up with her. Quickly she transmuted the wall and started running as she was impaled. She looked down at herself in horror as Lust with drew her nails.

"Tag, you're it" Lust said as Winry felt herself losing consciousness. Ed came up behind her, Al was nowhere in sight as he leant over and whispered in her ear.

"This won't hurt much. I promise" as she felt his hand ram through her rib cage, tearing out her heart.

Winry jumped as she sat up in her bed. She looked around. She was back in her old bed, in Pinako's house, in her nightdress, had it all been a dream? She looked at her left arm, still auto-mail. Well not entirely. She rubbed her human hand over her face, cold sweat coming away on it.

Quietly she got out of bed and looked at her bedside clock. 4:37 and since it was dark 4:37 Am. Trekking downstairs she passed granny's room who's door was shut like it was every night when she was asleep. Winry made it to the kitchen without incident as she pulled open the fridge and grabbed a glass of water, and then she sat on the counter and stared out of the window. How had she gotten here? Was everything just a dream? Ed, Al, her bioengineering job, Al's body. Ed finally realising that she wasn't so helpless. But that dream was it really real? She checked her body. There was nothing to suggest that anything had happened.

But it was so real, was it all possible for Ed and Al to actually turn like that and kill her? Side with Lust and Envy? The homunculus that had left her without her left arm and had given it to that Imp of a gatekeeper as payment for Wrath.

A few tears welled up in her eyes, how she had hated herself after that. For falling right into Envy's hands, especially when she knew Ed was hundreds of kilometres away not able to help her.

"Winry? Is that you dear?" Pinako's croaky voice called from across the room. The little woman was in her usual shapeless, conservative, white nightgown as she made her way across the floor to Winry.

"Yes it's me" Winry said quietly, her voice defeated. Pinako picked up on this.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she patted Winry's hand.

"Where are Ed and Al?" she asked as Pinako gave her a confused look.

"They're in Central. Like they have been for the last three months" She said as she gave Winry a raised eyebrow. "Remember they came to visit around Yule time" Winry felt something pass through her. She was back on the day that she had decided to leave for Central for her apprenticeship.

"Winry dear are you okay?" Pinako asked as Winry grasped her head in her hands.

"This can't be happening!" she cried as she looked around frantically. Pinako stepped back in shock at Winry's outburst, something was definitely wrong with her granddaughter.

"This can't have been a dream!" She buried her fists into her hair, her metal joints squeaking in protest.

"Winry! Winry calm down!" Pinako tried to reason with her. But Winry knew something was up. Envy had done this to her! This was one of his sadistic plans to make her forget everything that she had worked to gain. She was probably in a coma somewhere, with the brothers she had helped watching over her.

"Wake up wake up!" she screamed, hitting her head as she tried, but nothing worked.

"Winry!" Pinako screamed as Winry ran from the kitchen, outside to look over the calm fields and where Ed and Al's family home had once stood proud, now a mound of charred rubble.

She stood out there shivering, spring was coming but the air was still cold. She listened to the quiet as she heard her grandmother talking furiously fast to Ed on the phone. She sounded near hysterics as she talked to the boy.

"Winry?" Pinako called as Winry looked around the sliding door that she had just broken in her frenzy to get away.

Pinako held the phone out to her as she gently picked it up.

"Hello?" she asked as she heard Ed draw a breath.

"Winry please, you have to wake up" was all he said as her mind reeled and it went black.

)(&()()#.

Winry jumped like a live wire had been set to her skin, looking around she had a feeling of déjà vu as she looked around the small bed room that had been hers when she was in her apprenticeship. Looking around she found the auto-mail she was going to give Ed for his 16th birthday and the cat she was going to give Al.

"Winry? There's someone here to see you" Ryan's voice came from behind the door as he opened it and Edward walked in. She stared into his face before silent tears started to course over his cheeks.

"Winry dear god, please I'm begging you. Wake up" he said, Winry stared.

"But I am awake!" she protested as she jerked awake again. This time she was back in her bunk at the dorm in central.

This was getting ridiculous. Winry turned as she saw Al, still in his armour as he touched her cheek.

"You just have to wake up Winry, please" he cried as she felt herself being pulled back away from the brothers by a veil.

She couldn't leave them! They were too vulnerable! Her brothers! Ed! Al! No! She screamed as she torn at the veil, even though their silhouettes were fading.

NO!

And then she was free, just floating, she was so tired. The surface seemed so far away, but she had to swim, just get there.

)(&()#&)+&.

"Ed do you think she'll be okay?" al asked as Ed just stared at Winry, she had been thrashing and screaming on and off for over a week since they had made it back from their mission.

Ed was scruffy and unshaved. His clothes tousled and had bags under his eyes from sitting next to Winry's bed day and night so she would hopefully wake up.

"I don't know Al, I just don't know" Ed said utterly defeated. As he slumped down further into the plastic moulded hospital chair. "But that drug that she was slipped is a pretty powerful halogen. The doctors say she might never wake up" Ed said as he rested his head back against the wall. Al was silent as he got up and left, probably to get a soda Ed thought as he watched Winry.

Suddenly she jumped and shot up out of the bed, turning to face Ed, tears coursing down her face. Before Ed's brain could react she was in his lap, hugging the air out of him. After a second he returned the hug. She was okay, she was here, and she was fine.

"Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed" she kept saying a mile a minute as she clutched onto him.

"Its okay Winry, its okay" he whispered as she broke down into sobs. Ed held her gently as slowly she finished and looked at him. He was tired and scruffy, he had actually started a goatee and she knew he hadn't showered in a while. But that didn't matter, she was here and safe and it wasn't a dream.

Before she could think her mouth was crushed against his. It wasn't like her first kiss, sweet and innocent. This one was powerful; both of them trying to feel if the other was actually there or if they would fade away like a puff of smoke.

"Ahem" Mustang's cough broke the duo apart as Winry gave the colonel a glare that even had Ed's hairs raised.

"Well since you seem to be doing so much better Miss Rockbell. I am here to deliver your next mission. Good work on catching that rogue Full metal" he said as he swept from the room Hawkeye rolling her eyes at his antics and following after handing Ed the appropriate papers.

Winry looked at Ed who had a faint tint of a blush still in the tips of his ears.

"Does he always come in at the worst moment?" Winry asked as Ed laughed and gave her a hug, leaving his arms resting around her hips.

"Unfortunately yes" Ed said as Al walked back into the room carrying two sodas and a bag of cheese puffs.

"Winry! You're awake!" AL cried as he jumped her, hugging her as she hugged him back, still sitting on Ed's lap.

"I'm okay Al, say were you going to eat these?" she said pinching the cheese puffs from him and a soda. Al laughed

"No go ahead, you haven't eaten any real food for well over a week" Al said as Winry dove into the cheese puffs. Ed and Al kept their fingers away from her mouth as she devoured the cheese puffs in less than 30 seconds, followed by both cans of soda.

"So now what?" Winry asked as both of the boys shook their heads and looked at her.

"Well, we all need a shower and you need clearance to leave, so we can get showers" Ed said in the most obvious tone ever. Winry rolled her eyes as a nurse walked by the room.

"Nurse! Ms. Rockbell is awake can we get a doctor please?" Winry called as the nurse turned and looked at the girl sitting on Ed's lap.

"Sure" she said as she pattered off down the hall. Finally silence came between the teens as the faint beeping of Winry's heart monitor was the only noise in the room, after 3o seconds Winry's eye began to twitch and she pulled off all of the wires and tubes that were connecting her to the annoying machine. Soon it began to flat line and the room was filled with doctors and nurses.

"Well that's one way to do it "Ed said behind his hand as Winry's doctor turned off the machine. The others dissipating, or staying to unplug the machine and return them to another room for inspection.

"Well Ms. Rockbell, it seems you have quite the temper" he said as he pulled out her IV and checked her temperature. "I think you're healthy enough to return to your military work. Just come back if you get dizzy or begin to hear strange things. Whoever got you with that dart gave you a good amount of Entrodoxigen. Just come back here and we'll fix you up." The doctor smiled and left, handing the file off to a nurse.

"Well let's get outta here!" Ed said stretching and standing in his chair.

"Yes!" Winry agreed, trying to stand. Since she hadn't been on her legs in a week, the muscles gave out under the weight of her body and onto the floor she went.

"Um…guys? Some help?" she said as Ed and AL laughed and picked her up. Slinging her arms over their shoulders and helping her stand.

"Winry always has to rely on us eh Ed?" Al said as Winry stuck out her tongue at them. Trying to get her footing right and getting her legs used to the weight.

"You guys are so mean!" Winry whined as both brothers laughed. They made it back to the dorm rooms so they all could take showers. Unfortunately there was only one shower room on their floor and it was going to be co-ed.

"Let's go guys!" Winry said as she grabbed her mesh shower bag. Ed and Al looked a little confused before the realisation dawned on them. Both boys emerged from their room in a pair of boxers each and wife beaters. A mesh bag over their shoulders. Winry was in her ever present Pj bottoms and tube top as she led the way to the showers.

Slowly the room filled with steam as the three took their showers. Winry fully enjoyed the warm water as it washed the sterile hospital off of her body. She had to admit it was a little weird seeing guy's legs under each side of her stall walls.

"Are you going to stay there all night?" Ed's voice called as Winry rinsed the conditioner out of her hair and turned off the tap. Towelling off she changed into a new pair of Pj bottoms and a red tube top. She dried her hair and went to meet the boys.

They were fairing better now that they had shaved, washed and changed. Ed for once in his life wasn't wearing his usual black on black. Today he had gone with black jeans and a red muscle top. His crimson jacket exchanged for a black one of the same stature.

Al was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a green t-shirt. The air in the building was stifling and stuffy as they opened all of the windows, airing out the rooms and their belongings.

"Well since mustangs an ass we have a solid 48 hours before we get to have another butt numbing ride on a locomotive" Ed said as Winry solemnly agreed and AL just rolled his eyes.

"C'mon it's not that bad brother" AL said as Ed looked at his younger brother.

"You've only been on a train as a human once. Believe me it gets worse." Ed turned away as Al looked hurt. Winry looked between the two.

"Do you really regret me getting my body back so much Edward?" AL spat as Ed whipped around horror in his eyes. AL took that as a yes.

"You're such a, a BAKA!" he yelled before he ran out of the room. Winry stared off after the boy. Ed whimpered and struck himself in the forehead a few times.

"Moron, idiot, idiot, and idiot" He chanted as Winry turned on him.

"Ed! You know how sensitive he is!" she said as Ed looked at her hopelessly.

"I know, I just didn't know that, that would upset him so!" Ed cried as he slunk onto the bed.

"Go apologise! I know you're not good with words but dammit go do it!" Winry shouted as she felt tears collecting. Damn was her life becoming a bloody soap opera!

Ed nodded as he went after his brother, in a time and place like this no one should be alone for long. Which reminded Winry to the papers Mustang had handed to Ed.

Reaching inside Ed's coat pocket she unfolded the slightly crinkled document.

This mission was the complete opposite from the last one. They were being sent to the Deep South for a scouting mission. They were being provided with bullet proof vests, a gun and a helmet as well as camouflaged gear. This was going to be a dangerous scouting mission then. She scanned the papers for anything else. They were looking for a man named Dennis Tierce, he is wanted in six countries and has a bounty of $100,000,000 on his head.

"Alchemist, five foot nine, brown hair, skin and eyes, extremely dangerous. Wanted for homicide, crimes against humanity, unregulated bioengineering, and biological weapon creation." Winry gave a low whistle. This guy meant business, he wanted something and was out to get it, any means possible.

"So Winry where are we going to next?" Al's voice made her jump a mile high as she looked around to see the brothers staring at her.

"Well were going to the Deep South. We have a scouting mission for this guy." She held up the picture of the weasel like man. Ed scanned the page.

"He couldn't have of done all of this himself. There's no way" Ed said as he re-read the list. "He has to have more than one bogy with him. That's what we need to find out." Ed said as he rechecked the list again of the things they would need. "Why don't they throw in a few tank bazookas and a shit load of nukes" Ed said sarcastically as he shoved the list into his pocket.

"So are we going to get those items?" Al asked as Ed nodded.

"Looks like its time to make a trip to old man Kringle" Ed said as Winry looked confusedly at the brothers.

(20mins later)

"Hey Kringle! Are you in there old man?" Ed shouted as Al hammered on the ancient looking door. Winry looked sceptical between the boys as they proceed to hammer on a locked door for a solid 10 minutes getting a variety of stares from passers by.

"Sheesh you boys never give up do you?" a tired voice answered as they all hear the distinctive snapping noise of make locks being opened before an ancient looking man opened the door and squinted out at the trio.

"Ah Ed, nice to see you. And I can see you have some new comrades as well. Come in come in." he said ushering them into the dark house. Winry stared at some of the odd objects on the walls, weird guns and metal traps, something that reminded her of a large fish net and a small book that was set apart from the others behind glass. This peaked her interest as she was ushered past it and down a long flight of rickety stairs that were worm holed and broken in places.

"So what have you come here for?" Kringle asked when they reached the bottom, the man shuffling around in the gloom as Winry's eyes slowly began to adjust to the little light filtering through.

The basement happened to be huge, packed with every type of ammunition and scouting gear imaginable. Winry blinked a few times.

"So let me see what the military wants me to give you" he said holding out his withered hand. Ed passed over the list as Kringle scanned the list and began pulling out what was requested. "Where you boys shall be scouting?" he asked still busying himself with searching around for equipment.

"Deep south" Al said as Kringle froze.

"Deep south, well then you're going to need a lot more than what they've issued you" he said pulling out a whole new load of equipment.

(2 hours later…. Sry skipping ahead I know!)

After being told about all of their new gear and what they were expected of doing while in the Deep South. The group trekked out into the sunlight.

"AH! The sun it burns!" Ed hissed as Al and Winry gave him a squinty glare.

"Stop being such a drama queen, Ed!" Al laughed as Winry giggled and Ed glared at them.

"I am not a drama queen! Mechanic freak!" Ed snapped as Winry whipped her wrench out from her pocket, whipping it at Ed's head. The wrench smacked him square between the eyes.

"Alchemy freak" she shouted as Al sweat dropped and stared between the two teens as they began another pointless argument.

"Watch where you throw that thing are you trying to kill me!" Ed snapped

"It wouldn't have killed you your skulls too thick for that" Winry relied cattily

"Are you calling me dense!"

"Looks like it Mr. Obvious!"

"Shut up!"

"Ha! The big bad alchemist just got whipped by his mechanic!"

"Bite me!"

"Stand and deliver then!"

"Weirdo"

"Jerk"

Both of them trailed off as Al sighed and began walking back to the dorm for in the morning they would be setting off towards the Deep South.

(Early next morning)

"Winry? Wake up, its time to get off the chopper" Ed said quietly as she rolled over, falling off of Ed's lap and off of the seat onto the floor with a thud.

"I take it that's a no" Al said with a laugh as he stood and walked to where the door would open in a few minutes.

"I'm up I'm up" Winry said stretching and cracking all of the joints along her back. Ed did the same as they felt the helicopter descending. They made their way off of the chopper only to be hit by the overpowering humidity and sweltering heat of the day.

"Wow, I think that we're gonna be wearing shorts and t-shirts said as Winry looked confusedly at the brothers.

"hey would need.

hers staring at her.

e for long. and their belongings. mohere" Al said pulling off his sweater. Winry unzipped the top of her cameo- coveralls and tied the arms around her waist, revealing her black tube top. Ed tossed off his coat and black shirt for favour of his black tank underneath.

"ONWARD!" Winry yelled, pointing her wrench down the roughly hacked path that would be taking them near where the village that needed to be scouted would be. Ed and Al rolled their eyes as she led the way, hiking through thick foliage with leaves as big as small cars and flowers that smelled sweet and putrid at the same time.

"Winry get down!" Ed snapped as both boys jumped on her as a pistol fired ahead of them. Voices were heard as they rolled under the cover of some of the large leaves. Al met them as Winry blushed at having Ed lying on top of her even if they were under fire.

"I thought I heard something" A fat man with sweat stains on his white wife beater huffed as he waddled into the clearing with a pistol in hand.

"You're always hearing things" A lanky man in a fine suit said as he brushed past some of the flora with a disgusted look on his face.

"Naw, this time I think there was somebody here. Look! There are footprints in the mud!" he exclaimed. Ed flinched as Winry went ramrod stiff and Al started to chew his nails.

"You bumbling idiot, didn't you come this way this morning with supplies from the village? Those are your footprints from coming and going. You're being paranoid and wasting my ammunition. Go back to camp" Both men left as the fat one continued to say there were three sets of footprints not two.

Ed let out a breath as he rolled off of her and stood, helping her to her feet and looking for the fastest way away from the men they had just encountered.

"We need to get somewhere where we can watch them but they can't see us" Al said as Winry silently agreed still a little spooked from her encounter with Ed on top of her.

"I have an idea!" Ed said pointing up to the massive trees that were growing above them.

"Were going to live in a tree?" Winry said as she looked at him like he was crazy.

"Exactly! We can travel from tree to tree and them there wont be any foot prints and we can watch them without getting caught." Ed then went into detail about using alchemy to create a house out of the living braches of the tree and camouflaging it to look as if nothing were there.

Al and Winry agreed but first things were first. They needed to find out who the enemy was and where they were camped. It was a good thing their gear was light as Ed gave Winry a boost into the nearest tree, she climbed up into the maze of branches as the brothers joined her.

The trees were actually very useful to have since their branches twined around each other creating slightly slippery footbridges covered in plants and mosses. Ed picked the way as Winry went behind him and Al bringing up the rear, keeping his eyes opens for any trouble that may want to join them. They had a habit for that happening.

Suddenly Ed's hand whipped out, catching Winry in the chest as she stopped and dropped to a crouch like Ed had. He motioned for them to look over.

Winry peaked over and opened her mouth to scream when Ed slapped his hand over her mouth and pulled her under his arm so that she was held fast against him.

Down below was the fat man and the weasel like man from earlier; all in the dirt were different transmutation symbols. Some were very tiny and some were huge and had vast amounts of blood saturated into the soil. On one side there cages with canvas covering them. The canvas was streaked with blood and other bio-matter the teens didn't even want to think about. But the smell itself was over powering and putrid and this time it wasn't the flowers. A few desperate inhuman cries came from the cages as a rough man with a long spear in a loincloth and strange tattoos ran his spear over the front of the cage with a deadly tinkle and scrape of metal of stone.

"Well that last one was a bust. I guess cross transmuting a capybara, girl, and parakeet just wouldn't work." The fat man chuckled sadistically as the weasel just grumbled and kicked a much mangled body of fur, skin, and feather. Winry drew in another sharp intake of breathe as tears threatened to fall. Ed glanced at her and gave her a squeeze to remind her it would be okay.

"I think we're trying too hard. We're missing something. Something that has to be so simple that we're overlooking it…" the weasel trailed off again as the fat man scoffed.

"What are we missing? We're trying to create the ultimate human! The more experiments together I say should work!" he said as he waved a hand over the large circle with pools of blood. "We were close with experiment 162." He turned to the man in the loin cloth and commanded something in gibberish as a cage swung open smoothly. Winry couldn't close her eyes at the man who came out attached to a chain. He was unearthly beautiful, his upper-half was that of a man with long vivid blue hair and the lower half of what seemed to be a black cat. He had multicoloured parrot wings that hung at an odd angle like they were broken. He snarled at the men by the circle, his teeth white and pointed like a dogs. His eyes held the gleam of an animal in pain and fear. He fought against the man with the chains as he was half dragged to the other man.

"So that's what they're doing. Human and animal cross mutations, this is serious. We need to report to HQ as soon as possible." Ed was saying as Winry just stared at what was happening below her.

The poor creature was howling by this time in fear as he was hauled to where the two researchers were standing. The weasel man seemed to be satisfied by the outcome of this experiment as he looked over the man cowering like a dog below him.

"What did we mix him with again?" Winry fixed in on their conversation. The fat man pulled a log off of a table and read off the animals.

"one black panther, a macaw, two wild dogs, one human male, 3 metallic blue butterflies, and a rather large gecko" he read as the weasel nodded and the creature was dragged to a large kennel in which he was staked to the ground.

Ed shook Winry's shoulder as he brought her to stand, his grip still firmly around her as she shook without even realising it.

"Let's move" he whispered as the group moved on, away from the beautiful creature that was wailing in a melodic voice.

$#&(&()&(&.

The group found a good tree and both brothers managed to create a large tree-house as Winry typed a report to the HQ and Mustang about what they had seen.

"Winry? Are you okay?" Ed said quietly as he sat next to her. He and Al had finished with the renovations and Al was dragging their gear up into the trees. Winry looked at him; he had really grown since they had been kids. His face more chiselled and fuzz on his face where he hadn't shaved the day before. His eyes were the same as they had been when they were kids, a gorgeous unearthly gold, and his hair the same colour. He was turning into his drop dead gorgeous father more and more everyday. Even though he had mud streaked across his cheeks he still seemed so beautiful.

"I don't know" she said in all honesty looking away from him as he put his arm over her shoulders and looked at the report she had just finished.

"It'll be okay Winry, we'll stop those jackasses before they harm anymore creatures." He said as she nodded, tears starting to form in remembrance of the poor man-panther that she had seen earlier. She hugged him and he returned the favour, letting her cry. He knew it was hard for her to see what the real world was like out of sleepy Resembool, and of course they had to see the worst of it.

"Thanks Ed" Winry said as she finished her crying session. He rubbed her back and just sat with his arms around her loosely as she dried her face.

"Ed! Winry! Come quickly!" Al's frightened voice called as both teens looked up to see him panicking slightly as he motioned for them to follow him. Both teens shot up, Ed grabbing Winry's hand and hauling her up behind him as they took to the trees and made their way to their observation spot.

They arrived as a bright light and screams of agony went up. Winry clapped her hands over her ears as she buried her face into Ed's chest; Ed cringed as he clapped his hands over his ears. Al did the same as the light stopped and the screams continued but now as one.

Winry looked over at the transmutation circle to see the figure of a naked young woman with legs also like a panther, violet coloured hair and blue wings. She was curled in on herself as her skin shifted like something was crawling underneath it.

Winry drew a sharp breath as both men laughed in triumph and shook hands. Ed and Al exchanged looks as they dragged Winry back to camp that was still in shock at seeing how horrific people could be.

"Winry? Winry?" Ed called as he placed his hands on her shoulders. She tried to tell him it was okay and that she would be fine but the words just didn't seem to want to come out.

"Ah, it, um, fin, ha" she continued to try to speak as Ed asked Al to get some water. She thanked Ed for allowing her to have some time to think quietly as she closed her mouth and looked at the floor. How could people be so cruel? Fusing people and animals together for their own selfish needs. Then she stopped, was that the reason Ed was so angry about her joining the bioengineering faction of the military? Was he so afraid of her becoming one of these people who mutated animals and people together to become weapons of mass destruction! She put her head into her hands as she tried to breathe evenly. Why hadn't this have come through clearer at an earlier time? Dammit! She hadn't grown up at all she was just a scared little girl holding onto fragments of a dream that had been broken the day that Ed and Al's mother passed away.

"Winry, here drink this" Al said as a cup materialised under her nose. She drank deeply feeling the cool liquid help her brain slightly but also made her remember how long it had been since any of them had eaten. It was only then that she realised how much the humidity had an effect on her. She felt exhausted.

"So what are we going to do for food?" she asked as Al smiled and pointed out the reed door. Ed had left sometime during her thoughts and she could smell the distinct smell of meat and something else as she brushed the reed door aside.

"Supper!" Ed called out as Winry jumped over the rail of the tree house. Which was really a pretty stupid thing to do she realised halfway down in her free fall.

"douff!" Someone said as she was caught by Ed, he swung her around until her momentum from the freefall stopped. Winry looked at him sheepishly as he rose and eyebrow. "Are you suicidal? You could've killed yourself!" Ed said with good humour as she tossed his pony tail over his shoulder.

"Hm, I might be… better keep an eye out" she said with a wink before she ducked out of his arms and ran towards the meat that was roasting on a spit. Ed stood frozen to the ground as Al walked by and snickered.

"Can you please explain what just happened Al?" Ed said confused as AL gave his brother a duh look.

"You really are hopeless brother. She was flirting with you; she's liked you for such a long time! Hell, she even kissed you! I think that deserves some merit!" Al exclaimed quietly as Winry dove into the food ferociously.

"Flirting? But we don't like each other like that! We're just friends!" Ed snapped in obvious denial. Al rolled his eyes as hit Ed over the head with a rather large tree branch.

"Friends don't french each other" Was all he said before joining Winry for supper. Ed stared at the trees, Winry? Could it really be? He absent mindedly touched his lips at the memory of their kiss in the hospital when Winry had awoken. He had never been happier to know she was okay and that nothing had caused her serious harm. A lazy smile crossed his lips; he would be turning 19 in a couple of months Winry as well. His smile widened slightly but he kept it to himself, he really had a dirty mind sometimes. AH NO! He was turning into Mustang! Bad thoughts bad, bad thoughts!

"Ed are you alright?" Winry asked as he looked up from beating himself in the head with a branch. He smiled and dropped the branch, how the hell could she be so damn cute? Even with her shish kabob halfway to her mouth and a second one in her other hand.

"Fine just fine!" he said putting on a cheery smile and taking a seat next to her and snatching a kabob from the fire.

"Next up on our list of things to do is find a place to shower!" Winry said as Ed nearly choked on his kabob on the mental images that brought up. Al stifled a laugh in a cough before finishing his food and volunteering to stay at camp to get their things sorted out for the night.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Winry asked as Ed nodded and stood, offering her a hand up. She accepted as she stepped over a few fallen branches. "We'll be back soon Al!" Winry called as Al waved, already beginning to unpack their equipment.

Ed lead the way through the forest, his large human hand closed over hers as he lead her around enormous leaves and helped her over fallen logs. They walked in silence, both completely comfortable as they looked for water. Winry's mind was turning as she thought back to her hallucinations she had had while in the hospital. The doctor said someone had stuck her with a dart, who could want her out of the way like that? She thought over everyone she knew. There wasn't anyone who wanted her dead that she knew of.

"Hey Ed, when we were in the hospital what did the dart look like that hit me?" she asked as Ed looked over his shoulder at her.

"Well it was about this big" he measured three inches with his fingertips "and was decorated with feathers and little white and black spots over it. It wasn't made of metal either it was some type of iron wood" he said as he brushed another leaf past. Winry nodded, that type of dart was highly ornate then, but who used ornate darts in the far north?

The sound of rushing water pulled her back to the real world as Ed pulled a leaf away to show them the top of a waterfall with an eddy that was almost perfect for bathing in.

"YAY! A nice cool bath!" Winry said as she started for the water. But, Ed grabbed her and held her to him as she blinked a couple of times. "Why can't I go in?" She asked turning around in his arms and looking into his golden eyes with an agitated face. Ed gave a nervous chuckle as he picked up a stick by his feet and tossed it in.

"Watch" he said as the stick floated harmlessly in the water. Winry scoffed and took a step towards the water.

"Ed see! The stick is still floating There's no-" she was cut off as a monstrous set of jaws closed around the stick and pulled it under the water without leaving so much as a ripple. Winry stood dumbfounded as she stared at the place the stick had been. "how-how-did-did-you?" she managed to stutter as he stepped up behind her and gently touched her shoulder. He stuck his arm over it right next to her face.

"Follow my finger; you see the water over there. The calm gentle flowing of the eddy" Winry nodded against his arm as a smile came over Ed. "Now, watch carefully" he said as she did as she was told. Slowly she saw the pattern of water change, like something was moving hidden underneath the surface. It caused the water to shift up slightly and roll away from it.

"Wow Ed that's amazing! How did you know that?" she asked turning to face him. He smiled at seeing her excitement in his knowledge of the wilderness.

"Watching frogs and turtles, oh plus the occasional beaver" he said with a smile as Winry nodded and gave him a tight hug.

"You're so smart Ed, sometimes I wonder if I can ever keep up to you" she said as Ed returned the hug. Both of them stood together for a few moments before Winry let go and grabbed his hand. Ed looked at her blue eyes as they shined. "If there's something at the top of the waterfall what about the bottom?" she asked as both of them looked over the 25 foot drop into a clear pool of pebbles below them.

"I can't see anything, and there's no unusual movement in any of the eddies in fact it seems to be deserted except for a few fish that look harmless" Ed said as before he knew what was happening Winry had hold of his hand and they were running for a log that stuck out over the pool at the top of the waterfall. "Winry!" Ed yelled as she jumped, dragging him with her. She let out a hoot before he let go and they both dove into the cool clear waters.

Winry looked at the clear waters around her everything was so pretty under the water! If she were a fish she would love it but seeing as she was a human she needed oxygen which she needed to get soon too.

Ed surfaced as he shook his wet bangs from his face looking for any sign of Winry on the surface. Where was she? Then he was dragged under. Ed looked around himself to see Winry's smiling face as she leaned in and kissed him solidly.

Well this was interesting, kissing the girl of his dreams underwater. But all too soon he was running out of air, grabbing hold of Winry's waist he stood bringing both of them into shoulder deep water.

"Hm, Ed" she said resting against his chest as he smiled the mentally hit himself.

"Why did you just jump off of a cliff into a pool we didn't know how deep?" he questioned as Winry gave him a lazy look.

"Well if there's a waterfall it should be deep enough" she argued as Ed rolled his eyes.

"That doesn't necessarily mean that the pool below is deep enough! Winry, if it had been shallower we could've died!" he said as she looked up at him. He was so cute when he was mad, she found, even down to his scowl that he had practiced when he was ten just because he could.

"But we didn't" she stated as his eyebrow began to twitch. Crap, she needed damage control and fast otherwise he was going to be one grumpy alchemist for the next few days.

"I'm sorry Ed, I wasn't thinking" she said quietly as Ed looked down only to get kiss pounced again. Ed really didn't mind the fact that she was kissing him no not at all it was just that she was so damn good at it that it pissed him off to no end!

Winry smiled mentally as she slid her tongue into his mouth. (AN: curse u all for making me write this with your asking for limeishness, hurriedly continues to type) Ed refrained from jumping as he returned the favour and soon it was an all out battle for dominance.

Winry smiled to herself, finally Ed was reacting the way he should plus the fact that his hands wouldn't stop moving were also proving her point. She couldn't really remember how Ed lost neither his shirt from within the ten minutes that she started nor the fact that her tube top was dangerously low as were her pants. Ed broke off from her for air as Winry looked up into his glittering golden eyes. Oh how perfect that moment was, even though Ed's hands were resting one on her neck and the other on her ass and both of her hands were tangle into his hair.

"Well this is definitely interesting!" A voice called from over their heads as Winry squeaked and ducked into the water quickly pulling up her tube top and pants. Ed growled as he looked up to see none other than Envy perched up on the log from where they had jumped.

"What the fuck do you want Envy!" Ed yelled as Winry froze and looked up to see him. Her worst nightmare sitting like a god on a log (he he I rhymed!) before he jumped onto the bank. Ed stood to his full height, which was now about the same as Envy's, as he waded into shallow water. Winry hid behind Ed using him as a shield to keep Envy at bay.

"Edward! It's so nice to see you! I take it you've been busy!" he smiled as Ed rolled his eyes. Then Envy turned his attention onto Winry, she flinched under his gaze. "Winry! My, my! You've gotten prettier!" he said as Ed looked horrified between the two. Winry just cringed and ducked more behind Ed.

Envy leant back against a tree. "Well that's not nice! I come all the way out here to visit you Winry only to find that you're off frenching the little alchemist here!" he said shaking his head in mock sadness. "I though we had something! But I guess not, but I know how you can repay me!" he said straightening. Before Ed could even move Envy had shoved him backwards into the water and seized Winry.

Winry couldn't move. She was frozen in fear as she saw Envy's devious smile.

"Winry! NO!" She could hear Ed scream before Envy's cold lips were crushed against hers. She wanted to fight, to scream to hit the bastard, but she couldn't she was frozen like a mannequin. She felt an evil smile cross Envy's lips as she felt him slip his tongue into her mouth and explore like a snake. But she did do one thing, she bit his tongue. Metallic blood filled her mouth as Envy gave her one more solid kiss before withdrawing and grabbing her neck, throwing her away and into a trunk of a tree.

Ed watched in horror as Envy kissed Winry, he felt like everything he had worked for came to a crumble when he saw what looked like her kissing him back. Even though her eyes were wide open in fear she still kissed him back! Blind fury rose in Ed as did the feeling of betrayal. Then it all came to a point when Envy grabbed Winry by her throat as a small trail of blood exited the side of her lips before slamming her into a tree with inhuman strength.

"ENVY! YOU DIE HERE!" Ed yelled as he transformed his arm into a blade and charged Envy. The homunculus sighed and jumped into a high branch, smirking down at the alchemist who was in a blood lust.

"It's been fun Edward but I must be off! Your little friend over there nearly bit my tongue in half" he spit as red onto the leaves by Ed's foot. "Until later little alchemist!" he said with a wink and was gone. Ed stared at the blood in the spit by his boot, his betrayal vanishing since Winry hadn't kissed him back but had bitten him to fend him off.

That reminded him, Winry!

"Winry!" He called as he looked around in the dense flora for his missing mechanic.

Winry saw spots before her eyes as she tried to open them, her back hurt something fierce as her mind re-replayed the events that had just happened and the night she lost her arm. The gates, the eyes, Envy's laugh as he wrenched off her arm to had to the gate keeper, and the pain, the pain! Her arm was still burning as she felt each one of her nerves being sawed off.

"Winry!" Ed's voice called as she opened her hazy eyes to find his heavenly face staring down at her in fear. She grabbed him and began to cry as her left arm hung by her side.

"It hurt Ed! It hurts so much! Make it stop!" she cried as he gently touched her arm where flesh met metal. It was hot to the touch and he could feel the hectic heartbeat even through the vein. "Make it stop, please" she cried as he gently lifted her.

"Winry its okay, you have to wake up then it'll stop hurting" he crooned softly as she took his words to heart and her eyes became clear again.

"It hurts so much still" she whispered as Ed nodded and let her stand on her own.

"I know Winry I know" he said with as much sincerity as he had for he knew how painful those dreams were and how he was always left with a sore arm and a leg for about a day after. "C'mon lets get back to camp" he said as he flung her arm over his shoulder. She relied heavily on him as they made their way back, so much so that he ended up just giving her a piggy back.

"My god what happened to you guys?" Al asked as Ed made it back to camp, Winry had been sick halfway back from the blood she had ingested and was lying across Ed's shoulders like a rag doll.

"Well first we jumped off of a waterfall, and then we were attacked by Envy while bathing" Al rolled his eyes at his brothers all too obvious cover up for what they had REALLY been doing. "Then Winry went into shock and here we are" Ed said as he let AL take Winry from his obviously tired brother. "But what really bothers me is that Envy seemed so comfortable around Winry like they had met before" AL nodded as Winry moaned and gave another dry heave before she allowed Al to take her up into the tree house for the night. Ed sighed to him self tonight was going to be a long night especially is Winry was sick. She was always so helpless when she was sick even as a kid. Ed sighed again as he doused the fire making sure it wasn't smouldering and could give away their cover as he joined the others up in the tree house, making sure all of their tracks had been erased.

Ed entered the small hut to see Winry already laying down on her side in the foetal position as Al lay with his back to her already snoring. He smiled as he lay his bedroll out next to Winry and lay on his back staring at the ceiling as he heard Winry shuffle closer to him.

"Are you awake" he whispered as she looked at him with one blue eye and nodded. She looked, afraid, of all things. Did she think he was mad at her? For what? He shrugged and turned to look at her. "I'm not mad. Why should I be? He pretty much just molested you and I was powerless. Dammit! How strong to I have to become to even save you!" he cursed himself as he placed a hand over his face. Winry placed her hand on his arm and brought it down and away from his face.

"Just sleep. We'll need it." She said as she cuddled down and dropped off in a few seconds. Ed shook his head and threw his arm over her and also dropped off into sleep. Neither were plagued that might by nightmares of their pasts.

#&(&)(&)(&)&.

SUPER LONG CHAPTER! I hope u like! Now off to write another round of essays, logs and research projects huzzah!

Ps. Continue to review! They're so nice!

Pps. And Ed could u stop emailing me to write u a lemon and I will put Mustang in this story if u continue to do so.

PPPS. Also Envy I will not make your mini skirt, sry mini skort any shorter than it already is that is just wrong

PPPPS No No and NO I have not seen Mustangs desk nor the fact that it was burning out behind building nine… woops I think ive said too much… (runs away)

PPPPPS (really Im almost done) Whoever keeps sending my pictures of Elysia please stop its getting rather annoying and I will find u and hunt u down (cough) im okay

PPPPPPS please no one give anymore caffeine to Wrath he has hyperactive disorders already and I can't seem to keep him long enough to get him into the story before hes bouncing around again.(sigh) y do I have to work with such incompetent people!

Thanks for listening to my rabble! And hawkeye could u put down that gun its kind a scary how its aimed at my head…um heheheh

RUN AWAY!

Until later!

Demonica

Note: There is a mini skirt conspiracy going on at the office and I will get to the bottom of it bwahahahaha! And I have a feeling Mustangs behind it… (goes mustang hunting)

Byez!


	6. Battle time!

Silver Rose

Chapter 6… another long one since I'm going to be running like crazy this is gonna be a long wait for a long chapter.

Chapter 6

Ed awoke with a start, something had just touched him and he didn't know what it was. Panic was the first thing that set in as his eyes flew open to get the sight of blonde and pink. Winry, it had just been Winry. He laughed to himself, all of the years he had spent keeping himself alive had made him paranoid.

Winry rolled over and sighed as she cuddled closer to him (if at all possible). Ed looked around for Al who was still snoring loudly, oblivious to the fact that it was morning already. Rolling over he pulled out his watch, 6:30 Am the time he usually got up at. Gently prying Winry off of him since he knew she would want to sleep he pulled his boots on and re-tied his hair before stepping out into the wall of humidity.

The forest was noisy that morning, birds singing and little animals scurrying around in the leaf litter and there was an enormous pile of fruit next to the fire pit. Ed looked around nervously. Someone had been here and was probably still here. Something shifted behind him as Ed silently transmuted his arm into a blade.

"Morning-!" Ed whipped around and stopped as he saw a sleepy Winry standing behind him. Her legs still wobbly.

"Jeeze Winry! Don't sneak up on me like that!" he snapped as Winry shrugged and sat at the fire. Throwing a few logs onto the embers and bringing it back to life. Ed looked around; there were no footprints in the dirt that alluded to anyone moving around to drop off the fruit. Ed was so focused on the ground he didn't notice Winry go rigid until he heard her gasp.

Ed looked over his shoulder to see a little man. His skin was like old leather, he wore naught but a loincloth and a feather circlet on his forehead with a large blow dart tube at his hip. Ed watched the man nervously, even though he only came to Ed's chest he still was a foe until they knew his intentions.

"Welcome" the old man said as he did a strange hop on one foot with his left hand raised. Winry raised her eyebrow as Ed bowed returning the greeting. "I hope you like our gift of welcome" he said as he gestured to the large mound of fruit.

"Yes thank you very much" Winry said as she grabbed what looked like a mango and began to peel it.

"Good morning Jaguar" Al's voice carried over the small clearing as he dropped out of the tree next to the small man.

"Good morning Alphonse. Slept well, yes?" he asked as Al nodded and smiled at Ed.

"Jaguar here wants us to help him get rid of the alchemists that have been stealing people from their village. He is willing to supply all the help we need." Al said as Ed looked at his brother.

"When did you meet?" he asked as AL shrugged.

"Last night when you and Winry went for baths." Al said as he gave a slight smirk knowing full well that Ed and Winry had not been 'bathing' in the least. Ed opened his mouth to retort when the little man cut in.

"We saw your actions with the crocodile. You have keen eyes for the jungle my friend, they will serve you well. And pretty lady, you would be wise to listen to him while you are here. You're not at home here; nothing is safe in the jungle." He said as he whipped up his blow dart within a flash as Winry felt a familiar gust brush her cheek as something heavy dropped behind her.

Everyone looked as a boa constrictor dropped lifelessly to the ground.

"See the jungle not safe. Bring that would you? We shall go to the village and discuss matters" and with that he lead the trio and snake into the thick underbrush.

!$(&$)&!#.

Winry sat next to the water as the village ladies rolled her hair back from her face in tiny, tiny braids. She reflected on how crazy their morning had been.

As soon as the trio had walked into the hidden village they were greeted by smiling faces and platters of fruit. Women and men said hello and offered them food and jewellery. As soon as Ed took a step away from the group he was lead away by girls and women. Both of the brothers and Winry had been separated. First she was stripped of her old clothes and given new ones which were lighter and repelled mosquitoes better than her old clothes did. It consisted of a long tunic that reached her knees and had a weighty belt of pebbles from one of the forest streams. After her skin was painted in bright colours and her hair finely braded.

She was pulled out of the hut and shown to the centre of the village where Ed and Al were standing dressed in nothing but a pair of cloth breeches that reached to their knees. Their skin was painted as well and both boys head's were decorated by feathers and head bands.

Jaguar held up his hands as he addressed his people.

"People of my village, these are the people who will slay the demons who have been stealing our wives, husbands, son and daughters. We will aid them in as many ways possible. We wait for a fortnight until us being our moves. Wait patiently for the dead moon approaches for it is then we strike!" jaguar finished with a raise of a staff as the crowd burst into cheers. Food and drink was brought around.

Winry had never seen so many types of food; they were all heavily perfumed and spiced with wonderful flavours and even better drinks.

The party lasted for hours.

Winry sat down on a fallen log, totally out of breath from dancing for so long. She sighed; it was sun down the last light finally fading in the forest creating long gnarly shadows that seemed to reach out to her.

"Winry!" Ed sighed as he sat on the log next to her. He took a long drink from the wooden cup in his hand. Something that smelt like wine came from it as Winry smiled at him. Ed looked over at her as she tried not to blush at the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt. "Isn't this great! I haven't been to a party in years!" he laughed as he took another swig from the cup. "You should really try some of this is really good" Winry knew he was drunk. His speech was starting to fail him as he leant more and more on her.

"Ed I think you should stop drinking. You're gonna get sick" she said gently slipping the cup away from him and tossing the contents behind her.

"AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! My drink! That was the good stuff Winners!" he said as he put his chin on her shoulder. Winry sighed he was definitely drunk.

"Ed how many times have you been drunk before?" Winry asked as Ed screwed up his face in concentration like he had when he was a little boy. Her heart melted but she kept a cautious eye out in case they might be ambushed.

"Um. Lem'me think. Once!" he said holding up two fingers and smiling up at her. She laughed and put one of his fingers down.

"There Ed that is one" Ed looked at his hand.

"You sneaky devil" he said to the appendage before he sat up and looked at her. Winry raised her eyebrow as Ed smiled. "I think I wanna kiss you!" he said and before Winry could react Ed's alcohol flavoured lips were crushed against hers. Knocking her flat onto her back. Winry's mind ran a blank as she felt Ed kiss her with more vigour.

This was wrong, she thought, especially with Ed being drunk. She stopped kissing him and leant back as Ed looked at her in mild hurt as she smiled shyly. You can't be angry with a drunken person otherwise it can get ugly.

"Ed how about we go find somewhere to sleep. I'm tired" she said faking a yawn as Ed nodded and got her to stand.

Winry steered him back towards the village hut they had been given for the time being, the entire way Ed kept his hand fastened to her butt, no offence but Winry was ready to hit him by the time they reached the hut.

"Winners, I'm tired." Ed complained as he looked at her and swayed a little. She yawned again,

"Yeah Ed I am too. Here, there's a bed go to sleep I'm going to change" she said as Ed tottered to the bed and rolled himself onto it. Winry smiled to herself as she quickly changed into her tube top and his boxers before settling in next to him.

"G'night winners" Ed muttered as he curled himself around her. She smiled to herself.

"Good night Edward" she said as she already heard his distinct snoring behind her. She fell asleep with a smile plastered on her face.

#&$()&$#$.

"Ed ED! Wake up!" Al's voice yelled as Ed sat up wearily. His head hurt like hell and his mouth felt fuzzy. Al swam before him as his vision settled out to see Al pacing furiously across the room. Ed watched for a few moments trying to remember what had happened the night before and where Winry was.

"Al?" Ed said as AL jump and rushed over to Ed and began speaking rapidly in what sounded like Spanish to Ed. "Slow down and tell me whats wrong!" Ed snapped as Al stopped and looked terrified at his older brother.

"It's the bio-engineers. They took Winry and a whole stack of village people last night in a raid. You probably don't remember but they took Winry and nearly beat you to death." Al said as Ed looked at himself he definitely felt hung over but other than that he was fine. Wait a second.

"THEY TOOK WINRY!" Ed's voice echoed all around the village as a few macaws crowed the protest at the noise. Al cringed as he watched Ed go into his own version of withdrawal. Ed's hands twitched as the pure white of his knuckles showed through his skin. His shoulders moved as his muscles tensed and un-tensed. "We have to get her back." Ed said quietly as he looked at Al, his eyes gleaming an almost red in his fury." We will get her back even if I have to slay every one of those god damn bastards" Ed said as he stood. "C'mon. We raid tonight, gather everyone you can as soon as possible and I'll find where they're keeping Winry" Ed said before he left.

Ed was beyond pissed, he was so angry he could've more than likely burned down trees with his glare. He stalked to their viewing place in the trees where the weasel's camp was easily seen, without even knowing that he had walked over three kilometres in the span of 15 minutes.

Ed slipped into the trees silently as he walked along to the branch where the camp was lain out before him. He saw the exact same layout as the first night they had watched them. Except, the pen was now full of captives, including a beaten Winry holding her wrench close to herself as a weapon. Ed's heart pulled at he looked at her, she was terrified but holding strong where as the other captives were bawling or praying that something or someone came to save them.

Ed groaned this was going to be a bigger project than he had planned it would be. He watched silently as Winry looked around searching the trees as she finally spotted him. She smiled and he waved to her as she seemed to relax a little. Ed's throat contracted as he saw the two men and the native come out of one of the tents. Winry shot a frightened glance at Ed as he blinked.

"So, I feel like having a girl for this round. Get the little blonde one, she'll do well for our next experiment" The weasel said as Winry backed to the opposite side of the pen away from the native man with the spear.

"Hurry up! We don't have all day!" the fat man snarled as the native grabbed Winry. She panicked making horrendous noises, biting, screaming, flailing, she did it all before she was dumped into a transmutation circle and pegged down by a chain attached to her ankle. Winry looked around fearfully as Ed's heart pounded inside of his chest, where was everyone!

Winry was tossed into the midst of a large transmutation circle and tethered down with long coils of wire. She thrashed as they roped her so she was standing but couldn't move her arms or legs. They brought in a large navy macaw and a large panther that was thrashing just as wildly as Winry was. Winry looked up into the trees where Ed was, her eyes were huge as tears streamed down them Ed watched as both men threw their hands down onto the transmutation circle. Winry gave a terrified look at Ed as Al grasped his shoulder.

"What's-"AL was cut off as a bright light blinded them.

"EDWARD!" Winry's scream would be permanently etched in both of the brother's minds as Ed felt tears leak out of the corners of his eyes at the sheer amount of agony that was in the scream that echoed it. Soon enough the light stopped and both brothers looked down at the circle. Blood coated every inch of it and in the centre was a mound of blood mottled violet feathers and a body.

Ed chocked back the bile that was rising in the back of his throat as Al was sick behind him. The eyes of the villagers peaked out from the foliage of the trees and plants. One of the men walked over and kicked what was left of Winry, the mound didn't move.

"Heh, another failed experiment. Leave it to the scavengers and begin to pack up camp. We need to move before someone suspects us" The weasel said as porky nodded and rubbed his fat face on a dirty handkerchief. Ed was beyond pissed, his rage could barely be contained as both men turned and began packing.

Acting on his first impulse Ed gave the natives the command to be at arms but to wait for the attack signal as he jumped out of the tree, landing in between the alchemists and what had been Winry. Both Alchemists turned and nearly jumped out of their skin at the young man standing behind them.

"Who are you?" the fat man inquired as Ed gave an evil smile.

"My name isn't important the matter that I'm with the military may be" Ed said coyly as both men started laughing. Ed felt his eyebrow twitch.

"Aw man that's funny they sent midget no bigger than an ant to put us away!" The weasel said Ed's eye began to twitch faster.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MIDGET NO BIGGER THAN AN ANT THAT YOU NEED A MAGNIFYING GLASS TO SEE!" Ed screamed as both men stopped and pulled out knives.

"We can see that you've been around the natives, but may I ask what ever did you do with your arm and leg? Must've been a nasty accident" the Weasel said as he licked his lips. Ed was finding this more than slightly creepy.

"Well this is a dandy sight" Envy's coy voice came over the clearing a bright as a bell as Ed's hackles rose. Everything just had to get worse, Ed thought; someone up there really hated him.

Envy strolled across the clearing as he cocked his head to the side "Something's missing here, where's that blonde girl that's always with you?" Envy asked as Ed felt like he was kicked in the gut. Both men laughed as the fat man gestured to the pile of feathers still unmoved from the transmutation circle.

"Well your little friend couldn't stand the pain of being mutated and simply died" he said as Envy's face contorted into a mask of rage. Ed found this amusing before Envy glared at the two men.

"You simply killed her. You idiots! I thought Lust told you specifically NOT TO TOUCH THE BLONDE GIRL" Envy looked like he was ready to kill. Ed stood level to the homunculus.

"Woops" said the weasel as Ed felt his own blood boil. How dare he say things like that about Winry!

"You will not leave here today alive" Envy said as both men laughed.

"Sure a man in a mini skirt and a midget are going to stop us" the fat man laughed as both Ed and Envy laughed together at the men. Both of the alchemists stopped. "What's so funny?"

Ed stopped and looked at the men.

"Well first of all, he's a homunculus and second of all I'm the full metal Alchemist" Ed put on a sinister grin as both men looked at each other in fear.

"Minions attack!" shouted the weasel as a hundred or so hybrids bounded from their cages and stood like an army behind them. Ed and Envy grinned at one another as Ed held up his hand, a hundred or so people melted from the forest like ghosts. Both men paled as Ed cracked his knuckles.

"Let's play"

The war began.

)&(&)(&+)(&()&.

Ed panted the fat man had been defeated easily since he just hid behind his minions and his alchemy was weak but the weasel was proving difficult. Envy had his hands full with a powerful liger hybrid as Ed battled against the weasel. Both men had various wounds from various explosions and attacks.

Ed panted as he wiped blood out of his eyes from a cut on his forehead. The weasel was fairing worse than himself with a broken arm and a deep gash over his shoulder.

"Ready to give up!" Ed shouted as the weasel chuckled and Ed felt himself tumble forward with a heavy weight on him. He saw that one of the hybrids had jumped him unawares as he quickly slay the beast and turned to The man was un aware of how fast Ed was moving and within a second was lying stone cold dead on the forest floor. It wasn't much of a battle both men had been cowards.

As soon as their master died many of the hybrids stopped and looked around like lost children, their eyes blinking largely. The few that were still attacking were slain. Envy looked over as Ed and gave a blown kiss to him before disappearing. Ed looked over the clearing. Blood was everywhere, as were transmutation circles and bodies. But one area that remained untouched was where Winry's body lay still covered in mottled feathers.

Many of the natives were rejoiced to find their loved ones and were still able to speak with them like they had previously. Ed wandered over to Winry as he felt tears collect in his eyes. He hadn't been fast enough, hadn't done anything only watched as she was killed. He knelt next to the pile of feathers and rolled the body over. Under the feathers appeared Winry's body it was the same as she had gone in. Except for its pale colour.

Ed didn't notice as tears rained over his face and dropped onto her face. This was the second person he had lost that had been close to him. First mom, then Winry. It seemed everyone he loved was due to be taken away from him.

"Winry, oh god I'm sorry, please open your eyes. Tell me I'm an arrogant ass, hit me with your wrench I don't care just open your eyes" he pleaded as he tucked his head against her still warm chest.

"Winry, Winry, and Winry" he called as he gently rocked her.

$)(!(&()$#!)

Why did she hurt so much? Winry looked around at herself. The gate stood proudly before her as she looked at it. Why was she here? Then she remembered the circle, the pain and Ed's look of utter terror.

The gate keeper sat with his ankles crossed, munching on what appeared to be a cow leg.

"Ah I see you're back!" he croaked, "Most definitely dead, well what your penance to go across the void?" he asked as Winry backed up and fled from the gate. There was no way in hell she was going into that gate. Ever, she would be a ghost, but there wasn't a way she was going to the gate.

"Winry, please open your eyes!" Ed's voice cried as she looked around her. Something was drastically wrong with her if Ed was openly crying, He never cried!

Edward! Im coming! She yelled as she looked down towards what seemed like her body as she settled herself into the mould of her body.

$&(&(&&($(.

"Ed, she's gone, let her go" Al said as he watched his brother clutch Winry's mutilated corpse to his body as he rocked back and forth.

"Why? Why, why?" he muttered as he continued to rock. Al felt like breaking down, it was so incredibly hard to see his brother acting in such a way.

"Winry" he muttered as he began to let go. Winry's chest rose and fell. Ed jumped at the sudden movement as he felt her take another breath and begin to cough. Suddenly she sat upright and hacked out what appeared to be a large amount of dirt from her system, before falling backwards. Ed caught her as he looked down her saw Winry's eyes open, their electric blue colour magnified by the dark rings of blue around them.

"Edward" she smiled as she reached up to him.

Ed had never felt as happy as he did at that moment; tears streaked down his cheeks as he grabbed her and hugged her to him fiercely. Winry really didn't mind as she felt something heavy on her back. She needed to get rid of the pressure on her back for fear of it breaking; slowly she felt the weight lessening until she felt back to her normal self.

Al stared in amazement as the enormous wings that Winry had slowly shrunk from their massive size down to what looked like two tattoos along the length of her back.

"Good lord Winry" he muttered into her hair as he felt the familiar static of helicopters blades over them. Al gasped as he saw the sheer number of military choppers in the sky.

"Elric brothers? Is everything okay for landing?" Roy's voice called as Al gave a thumbs up. Many of the helicopters stayed in the air except for two. One for medics and another one for the head military officers.

Roy, Riza, and Armstrong were the first people out of the chopper as medic loaded a stretcher.

"What happened here?" Roy demanded as Al began explaining about the bio engineering and all of the native and the battles as well as Envy. Roy seemed to such all of this information in as Riza came to where Ed sat with Winry tucked against him.

Ed looked up into Riza's face as she offered a hand to both of them. Ed laughed as he looked at Winry.

"I can't stand my auto-mail's too damaged to walk on" he said as Winry punched his chest.

"That was my best work how is it damaged?" she asked as Riza nodded and walked back over to help the medics.

"It's not, I just don't want to move" he said quietly as Winry smiled to herself. Sometimes she loved this boy more than she ever realised. Before long they both, along with Al were packed up into the helicopter, another was filled with all of their stuff, as they headed back to Central.

#)((&)&$)&.

A while later they landed as Ed, Winry and Al jumped off and collected their gear before making their way to their dorms. The three managed to get into Ed and Al's room before all three crashed onto the two beds still squished together. Ed and Winry snuggled close to one another, Ed still terrified of loosing the one connection to the real world he had left.

$)&P)(&&). (I know lots of jumping around, PFFT)

Morning again Winry observed as she rolled over to look at the digital clock by the night stand, sorry afternoon. It was one thirty in the afternoon and their room was quite stuffy from the heat of the day. Winry got out of the bed and opened the windows to be assaulted by the smell of cooking food and hot pavement. She sneezed before retreating back into the room, both Ed and Al were dead to the world both snoring and Ed with his stomach viewed to the world. She had to laugh at Ed still dressed in the clothes they had received from the natives. Winry decided a shower was in order while the others slept. Silently she slipped out of the room and into hers as she grabbed her shower bag. The hot water was amazing as she felt her muscles relax under the tap.

"Morning Winry!" Al's cheerful voice called as she heard the shower to her right start up.

"Morning Al" she called back as someone's low muttering and tiered footsteps entered the shower next to her. Ed too, she felt weird seeing two pairs of male feet in the showers next to her. She finished washing and redressed before leaving the showers and returning to the room.

As she finished dressing there was a loud knock on the room door. Ed and Al never knocked; usually they just waltzed in even if she was half dressed. Throwing on her shirt she opened the door. A petite girl with wide blue eyes and thick light brown curls stared back at her. She was about the same height as Winry but she definitely tinier. She was wearing a bright pink baby tee that showed off a good portion of skin as well as tiny short shorts in which her thong rode over.

Over all one of the skankiest people Winry had ever seen was standing right on her front step.

"Can I help you?" she asked as the brunette gave her a dirty look.

"I'm looking for the Elric brothers. The colonel sent me I'm going to be the new recruit that has been assigned to Mr. Elric" She sighed dreamily at the last part. Winry raised her eyebrows.

_What a bimbo, Edward will be pleasantly surprised to find someone actually shorter than he is._

With the mention of Ed, he walked down the hall wearing only a towel carrying his mesh bag of bathing supplies over his shoulder.

"Hey Winry. Who's the new girl?" he asked as he eyed the small girl in front of him.

"Mr. Elric! Its so nice to meet you! My names Victoria! But you can call me Vikki!" she said enthusiastically as she grabbed Ed's arm. Ed looked startled as he glanced at Winry, but she had turned away and stalked back into his room and was silently tossing objects into a bag before stomping back to her own room. "Talk about haughty all I said was hi and she stomps away. Not very friendly if you ask me." Vikki said as Ed felt a pang of annoyance at Winry. He had still not forgotten why she was here in the first place. Becoming a bio-engineer, he gave a scoff and turned to Vikki with a smile.

"Well since you're going to be with us for a while we might as well get you settled in" Al said as Ed remembered that AL had come behind him and had more than likely seen the exchange.

"And you are?" Vikki said with innocence as she had made the connection that Ed and Al were related.

"Alphonse Elric, Nice to meet you Victoria-?" he asked as he waited for her last name.

"Dale" she said with a smile. Al was already beginning to like this girl.

"So let's get you settled in. Ed I think it would be beneficial if you went and had a talk with Winry. She seems a little upset since our last mission." Al said as Ed untangled his arm from Vikki's grasp. Since Al was already changed Ed changed hurriedly and knocked on Winry's door.

"_GO AWAY"_ came her sharp response.

"Come on Winry! Open the door!" he called.

"No GO AWAY!" she snapped as he heard a groan come from behind her door.

"Winry so help me god if you're not dressed it's your own fault. I'm coming in." he said as he transmuted the door.

Walking through he noticed a small trail of blood running along the carpet… what was happening? Ed thought as a screamed racked his ears.

$&T(+&)(&(+)&$

bwahahahahahaha! You all hate me yes you do! Haahaahahahhaha!

Ill get the next chapter up asap.

And a few more things to clear up.

who ever keeps sending me eye patches can u stop its creepy.

the pictures of Elisa are still flooding my inbox, stop it now!

whoever keeps hacking my files, Edward, could you please stop, Edward, I wont mention any names , Edward, but hopefully they will stop. Edward.

the miniskirt conspiracy has been put onto a hold until mustang can find his gloves. Bwahahahahaha! (holds up glove covered hands)

thanx to all my loyal reviewers I know u missed me and thanks to goldwing for helping! With this chapter!

Until later

JA NE!

demonica


	7. and so it begins

The silver rose

By: Demonica

Chapter 7

Walking through he noticed a small trail of blood running along the carpet… what was happening? Ed thought as a screamed racked his ears.

"Winry!" he yelled as something wet and sticky slapped him across the face. Dazed for a moment he touched his face. Thick red blood coated the side of his face as a dull thud and the crashing of glass echoed through the small apartment.

Leaping over an upended dresser he looked upon the chaos in which Winry's room had been thrown into. There were blood and navy feathers covering the room. Furniture was overturned and the bedside lamp had been smashed into a hundred pieces on the floor.

Soft sobbing came from behind Winry's bed as he crept over to it.

"Winry?" he called softly as he heard a sharp intake of breath.

"Don't come near me" she hissed as he gently kneeled onto the bed. Looking over he saw Winry crunched into a ball beside her bed and the wall. Dark navy wings curled around herself like a ball of protection. He held out a hand as she curled closer into herself. "Don't touch me! I don't know what's happening" she snapped as he was four inches from her hand. A searing pain went up his hand as her talons raked over his forearm. He kept his hand steady as he finally managed to grip her hand. Blood ran over his fingers as she dissolved into sobs.

"Ed! What's going on!" Al said as he barged into the room, Vikki on his heels. Ed looked frightened as Winry jumped and her wings seemed to elongate.

"Get her away from me!" Winry's voice hissed as Vikki stepped closer. A bright light began to shine from under Vikki's tank top as Winry gave an unearthly scream and in the blink of an eye had crashed through the double glass doors to the patio.

"WINRY!" Ed yelled as he dashed to the double doors. She was standing on the rail, wings extended as she hissed something under her breath so fast Ed couldn't tell if she was hyperventilating or just muttering.

Vikki stepped up behind Ed as Winry let out another scream and covered her head in her hands.

"I swear if she comes any closer I'll jump!" Winry snarled as she felt the same pain from when she had been transmuted begin to cloud her senses. The feral animals she had been combined with were starting to take over.

"Don't be stupid, now get down! Or I'll report you for creating a chimera out of yourself! You psychotic monster" Vikki snapped as Winry turned golden eyes with cat like slits onto her.

A low hiss started to come from Winry as Vikki stepped forward and extended a hand. Winry's head snapped back as her eyeteeth began to elongate. She snapped her head backwards and jumped.

"WINRY! NO!" Ed yelled as he ran to the balcony. Winding himself as he watched her spread her wings and struggle for altitude.

"She's not strong enough. She doesn't have enough muscle mass in her chest to lift her!" Al gasped as Winry plummeted towards the ground from eight stories above.

Ed slapped his hands onto the balcony using the metal from the others to create a net. Winry fell into it as people below were oblivious to what was happening above them.

Ed pulled the net back in as Al took Vikki back to her room. They would discuss this incident later.

Ed managed to get the net over the balcony before collapsing to his knees. Winry lay still on the net, her eyes still open and unblinking as she stared up at the sky.

"Winry?" he asked exhausted as she turned to look at him. Slowly she returned to herself, her eyes going back to their lovely ocean blue and her wings receding until they were little more than the tattoos on her back once again.

"Thank you Edward" she said as he grabbed her in a hug. She returned it as he inhaled the sweet smell of her hair. She was safe now; whatever had happened to her hadn't affected her too drastically.

Ed held her tighter, this was the reason he didn't want her in Central. If she would've stayed out in Resembool none of this would've happened. She wouldn't be in danger, she wouldn't have of joined the military, she wouldn't have been in the predicament she was in now. She wouldn't have become a target to get at the Elric brothers.

_That's a lie_. Came a little voice from Ed's mind. _Look at her arm that happened in Resembool. You can't protect her from everything; she has to learn for herself where her place is. Whether it kills her or not, you can't change destiny._

Great, more of the destiny crap. Winry was in a dangerous predicament, she had to report to the head bio-engineer tomorrow and receive her first assignment. Ed was scared for her, he had never met one of the bio-engineers but he had heard they were a rough crowd.

"Ed?" Winry's small voice pulled him back to reality as he realised that not only was he holding Winry but she had been sobbing for a long time.

"Yes?" he asked as she lay in his arms.

"Do you remember when Vikki came into my room?" she asked as he thought back to the glowing pendant.

"Yes, the pendant around her neck began to glow. It reminded me of what happened during your transmutation." He said the last part quietly. Winry reached out and touched his face. Unbeknownst to him he had been crying as he said the last part. She gave him a tighter hug.

"I think we need to talk to Vikki, I can't until that necklace she has is taken off of her otherwise I run the risk of almost committing suicide again." Winry said as Ed started in surprise to the words she had said.

"What?" was all he managed to get out? Winry sighed and snuggled closer, seeking his body heat.

"The pain was so immense; I was willing to do anything to stop it. It was even worse than the auto-mail surgery and recovery." She said as Ed held onto her. His shirt already soaked through from blood and tears. His arm burned but he would be okay as he held her. She once again broke into sobs.

!((!)(&#))!(&.

"Well that's interesting" Envy said as he collapsed the spyglass down.

"What is it Envy?" Lust asked shifting from one foot to another as she leant against the rail of the hotel.

"It seems our little doll has some interesting new attributes" Envy said licking his lips as Lust raised her eyebrow.

"Are we turning into Greed now?" she asked as Envy shot her a venomous look.

"Lust! Lust! Mr. Tucker comes! Mr. Tucker comes!" Gluttony said as the enormous chimera walked into the room.

"Lust, Envy, what is it that you wish of me?" he asked calmly as Envy handed him the spy glass.

"Over on that balcony, what is it that you see?" Envy asked in a bored tone. Tucker looked through the spy glass, almost immediately he dropped it.

"I, I don't believe it. That's Dennis Tierce's work. He's still alive!" Tucker was aghast as Envy's lips curled up into a smirk.

"Well, it seems our little doll has become all that more interesting" Envy said as he turned to Lust. "I think a little visit to the president is in order" Lust nodded as Tucker flicked an ear in their direction.

"What are you going to do to the girl?" he asked as Envy gave him a smile.

"Nothing, but she has connections to the bio-engineering files. If we can get them then who knows what else we could get. Details on the philosophers stone maybe?" Envy shrugged. "This will be quite fun with little Edums and Winners playing along. Ooh I can almost taste blood already!" he jumped up and down.

Tucker stared after his over seers. This girl didn't deserve to be a puppet, she had obviously suffered enough. He knew from records that Tierce's transmutations were quite painful and if what he read was correct than the stone that his daughter carried was the closest human kind had come to getting an actually philosophers stone.

He needed that stone. He was sure that Envy already knew this or was close on the trail; he would not fail his daughter again. He would succeed in resurrecting her.

$&(&+(+)(&(&)&.

Early the next morning Winry had gone over to the Colonels office. He had given her the papers in which she needed to fulfill the mission with. He asked her if she was feeling okay, since from the night before she looked like death warmed over. She had explained that she had been up late the past few nights reading about some interesting bio mechanical parts that could replace spine if need be.

She had been dismissed and had gone outside to relax under the shade of a tree.

Shuffling around her papers she noticed that the name Victoria Dale came up quite a few times. Quickly she read over her report.

"WHY I AM THE ONE WHO GETS THE CRAPPY MISSIONS!" she snapped as a few birds took flight away from her outburst.

"Because you're a newbie" said a confident voice. Winry turned around to see Envy sitting in the tree above her, munching on an apple.

"What do you want" she said coldly, her metal arm tingling. Envy continued to eat his apple before throwing the core out.

"Your mission is to watch over this Victoria Dale is it not? I have some valuable information for you. But, I will only give it to you if you help me out first." He said cockily. Winry raised her eyebrow at him and armed herself with her wrench.

"Let me hear what you want then I'll decide if I want to help you or not" she said calmly. Envy's smirk grew even wider.

"First I want to know what happened to Dennis Tierce and I also want access to his case file. But I already have that so forget the file, but I want to know prison he's in and I want you to get me the pendant that Victoria wears. It has a certain value to the homunculi that we rather need." He said cattily. Winry snorted.

"Do you think I'm stupid? Just by you telling me that the pendant is valuable to the homunculi you told me all I need to know. So no I won't help you. Good day Envy" she said picking up her file and stalking away from the tree.

Envy watched her go. Dammit! Sometimes he could be so stupid! Damn his tongue and her cunning!

With a snap he disappeared leaving a gaping hole in the side of the tree.

Y) (U (+) & (R#$#$.

Winry was walking back towards the dorm rooms when she felt someone quickly grab her arm and pull her into a side passage. Glancing around she was about to let out a scream when someone hissed in her ear.

"Winry, it's just me!" Ed's voice calmed her immediately as he pulled her to the back of an ally. "Its ok tucker you can come out." He said as a man in a huge trench coat came out from behind the dumpster.

"Miss Rockbell? I have some information to give you and Mr. Elric" he said quietly looking around as Ed also glanced around. "You see, Vikki, that pendant she wears around her neck is the key leading stone almost equal to the philosophers stone. Her father is or was Dennis Tierce, that alchemist you captured in the Rainforest. I just have one thing to say, keep that stone away from chimera and homunculi, they have the opposite effect to what the real philosopher's stone can do." He said before he bowed to both of them and disappeared down a sewer grate.

"Well that was interesting" Ed said as both of them stared down at the grate.

"I wonder why Tucker would want us to know that" Winry mused as they walked back to their rooms.

(In Winry's room)

"Why are we in my room?" she asked as Ed locked the door behind him and slunk to the floor in a heap.

"I've been trying to get away from Vikki all morning. I just managed to get away with the bathroom excuse" he said as Winry nodded and sat on her bed. "What is your new mission?" Ed asked suddenly. Winry's heart stopped a beat as she realised why they wanted her to watch Vikki. The Pendant! Winry looked at Ed.

"I was assigned to watch Vikki and I know why. The Bio-engineers want that pendant. They want to know what it does and why a rouge alchemist would send his own daughter into the military." Winry trailed off.

"And with such an important piece of scientific equipment. Hm, I wonder if it has something to do with the rainforest and her father's research which included making human chimeras. Like if the wearer of the pendant could control an army of Chimera. I mean you seemed to react to it…" Ed trailed off sadly as Winry thought about herself. She really was a scientific experiment, a living chimera that hadn't gone insane and had been able to keep its form. Much like Martel and the others had before they had been murdered.

"There has to be more than that." Winry concluded. "Why else would I have transformed and wanted to commit suicide if this thing can control chimera and homunculi?" she pondered as someone pounded on Winry's door fiercely.

Ed dove behind her bed as Winry opened the door. Vikki stood outside the door giving a glare that could've melted rock. Winry felt the familiar pain starting along her shoulders as she glared back at the short girl.

"Can I help you?" she asked as Vikki looked around her.

"I'm looking for Edward. I need to speak with him, it's of matters of greater importance than of a bio-engineer" she said coolly as Winry felt her blood boil.

"Sure of course, I'll get him" she said calmly with a smile as she walked over to her bed where Ed was lying.

"Winry? Who was it?" he asked as Winry smiled

"It's Vikki she wants to talk to you" Winry said as Ed stood up. Winry took a step towards him. And kissed his cheek, and ran her hands through his hair. Dishevelling it completely.

"Win-inry?" he stuttered as Winry smiled to herself. Before pushing he out the door and into Vikki's awaiting arms.

Looking through the peep hole she watched as Ed tried to fix his hair and clothes from his dive behind her bed making look exactly how she wanted it to look to Vikki.

Edward was hers, and no fan girl was going to take him over. Vikki looked at the peep hole with a glare clearly stating game on.

Winry smirked with satisfaction as she walked back into her room.

So this game was started. Let the best woman win.

()#)(#(&)&$(#$(&.

Winry sat out under a tree in the court yard; it was just too nice a day to be outside. Plus she was also waiting to see what would happen with Ed and Vikki who were also sitting under a tree on the opposite side of the court yard.

She was bored quite frankly as she flipped the cover of her green watch open and closed. She had never really looked at the insignia on the watch. Taking a closer look she noticed it was a wrench crossed by a rose with a pentagram in the background similar to Ed's.

"It so nice out today" Al's voice made her jump as she looked at the young man. He was leant against a tree with a sad look on his face.

"What's wrong Al?" she asked as he shook his head and sat down next to her with a thump, sending up dust.

"Nothing out of the usual except for me being the younger brother" he said with a sigh as Winry glanced in the direction he was staring at. Vikki. Winry's mind clicked as she reached over and hugged Al.

Al was startled by the sudden movement but returned the hug. It was nothing strange being hugged by your sister as she leant back against the tree.

"So I take it that Vikki is so hug up over Ed that she doesn't even notice you" Winry said as Al nodded sadly. Winry bit the inside of her cheek, should she tell Al the war that was going on between her and Vikki? Well it couldn't hurt to have another ally on her side. "Al, I'm going to tell you something but you can't repeat it to anyone. Not even Edward" she said as Al's eyes widened and he nodded. "Vikki and I are having a …um… personal battle over Ed. And I want you to help me win. You said yourself when we were kids that Ed wanted to marry me. So why not help me?" she asked as Al gave a thoughtful look in the direction of his brother who seemed to be slowly backing away from Vikki.

"Sure Winry I'll help you as long as Vikki can see what a great guy I am" he added the last part cockily as Winry rolled her eyes. Al was just too funny sometimes when he tried to act older.

"So deal?"

"Deal" Al said as they shook hands.

"Now for operation icky Vikki to commence" Winry said evilly as Al watched her carefully and reminded himself to keep his finger away from her mouth. Sheesh talk about someone who could go from nice to evil in 0.06 seconds.

Winry stood and brushed the remaining dirt off of her skirt and marched over to where Vikki and Ed sat. The closer she became to the girl Winry noticed how her head had begun to pound and her senses were going crazy trying to alert her of immediate danger. Pushing past her side effects she smiled at Vikki.

"Vikki? Would you mind if I borrowed Ed for a few minutes I have to do some maintenance on his arm." Winry said cheerfully as Vikki nodded and Ed jumped up. Winry turned and started back across the field as Al winked at her.

Winry lead Ed back to the dorms at a quick pace.

"Winry what's going on?" Ed asked as she took the stairs two at a time. Winry didn't say anything until she reached the top floor a.k.a. the roof.

Quietly she shut the door behind both of them, taking his metal arm she lead him to the edge of the building where she sat down.

"I need to speak to you about Al." she said quietly. Ed nodded, this was different why wasn't she talking to him about Vikki? Ed sat down next to her as a fierce wind blew up. "It seems that Al has been assigned to work with me and yourself on a protection mission. Mustang was going to inform you but AL collected the papers for you. But anyway the mission is about Vikki. Were supposed to act as her bodyguards for the next couple of weeks until the chaos around the chimeras dies down." Winry stopped and let this entire information sink in.

Ed nodded slowly.

"Dammit, colonel bastard has struck again! Can he never just simply tell me about my missions!" Ed looked ready to spit nails as Winry placed a hand on his arm.

"It wasn't actually your assignment it was mine. Mustang just asked me if you two could help me. Do you remember that information Tucker gave to us?" she asked completely switching the topics.

Ed's mind reeled as he tried to recall the information the Tucker had given them.

"Yes something about a mock up of a philosopher's stone that was bass ackwards to what the real philosopher's stone was." Ed said leaning back against the railing. Winry nodded,

"This girl is the daughter of Dennis Tierce, and she has that in her possession. In fact that is what her necklace is, the one that glowed when she tried to come after me. Because I am a chimera of sorts…" she trailed off looking at the ground sadly as she felt Ed's arm wrap around her. She laid her head back on his shoulder.

"Im sorry" he said quietly as she turned to look at him. An anguished expression was splashed across his face as she touched his cheek softly.

"It's not your fault; I should've fought harder to get away. Besides I'm here and okay right?" she asked as he heaved a sigh and looked away from her.

"The point is Winry you shouldn't have of come to Central. And you shouldn't have joined the military!" At this point he stood and glared down at her. Winry sat frozen. "DO you think I wanted to become a dog? DO you think I wanted to be risking my life over and over so that one time I might not come back? DO you think I left Resembool behind with you and Pinako in it without a reason? DO YOU THINK I WANTED TO LEAVE EVERYTHING BEHIND? And then you blew it. You came to Central and purposely made yourself a target!" Winry had backed up against the railing until she was almost flush with it. She had never seen Ed so angry, he was biting his tongue to keep some of the harsher insults at bay as he stamped around in front of her. "Now not only does Envy have his eyes on you but the rest of the homunculi do!" he sat down across from her as she bit her tongue.

She could not tell him about Envy, no, not now, it would scare him completely and he would send her back to Resembool tied to the train if needed be.

"Im sorry Edward, I never knew. I just thought that you had left us because you wanted revenge on your father and a way to revive your mother, since Al attained his body." She said sadly as Ed ran a hand through his dishevelled hair.

"It's just, why? Why would you want to come to central to put yourself in danger?" he asked his tone utterly defeated.

"Why? Because I wanted to help my two best friends in the entire world, and learn things along the way. You can't do that being shut up in a little shop in Resembool with your primary customers being farmers" she smiled at him as he flopped backwards onto the cement.

"I see" he said as he closed his eyes. Winry sat in silence as Ed tried to process all of the data that had been whirring through his mind.

After a few moments he spoke up.

"So we have to keep a close eye on Vikki and her necklace. Is there anything else that you wanted?" he asked sharply. Winry flinched as he just stared up at the sky.

"No" she said quietly as Ed gave a nod.

"Edward!" a high pitched squeal came from the roof doors as Vikki bounced over to him and sat next to him. She quickly moved so that Ed's head was in her lap and she was stroking his hair. Winry felt a pulse of jealousy run through her before it was gone and a deep ache and anger replaced it.

"ill see you later Ed." She said sharply as Ed looked at her. She didn't notice his pained look as she stomped down the stairs back to her room.

$&&!$(&)&

"OOOOO that idiot I just wanna!" she smashed the fist into her hand a few times before flopping back onto her bed. "Who am I kidding; he's beyond mad at me for even thinking of linking up with the military." She rolled over and faced her metal arm. "Damn you to hell and back Envy" she said quietly.

"Now, now, I happen to think that fashion accessory looks electrifying on you" Envy's voice floated over to her as she turned to see him casually sitting on her desk. She turned over and gave him a glare.

"I already told you no deal" she said and rolled over to face the balcony.

"I know but is it a shame to want to spend more time with you?" he asked suddenly in front of her, leaning against the sliding doors frame. Winry gave him a sceptical look, meanwhile her brain was running over 1001 ways to escape from Envy and get to Ed.

"I don't think you're that interested in me. After all I'm just a chimera" she sniffed and opened a magazine.

"You maybe a chimera but you're still living and it haven't seemed to affect not one part of your brain at all. So therefore there must be something about you that is compatible with the philosopher's stone." He said as he took a seat on her bed.

"And I think you're full of it" she said calmly and turned the page. Envy sighed and gently ran his fingers through her hair.

"I have to admit though it makes you all the more attractive. But I'm still the better looking" he said cattishly and smiling showing perfect teeth.

"Did you ever think about becoming an incubus?" she asked casually as Envy looked at her.

"Could you stay out of my mind please" he said as she coughed a laugh. "Any way I came to alert you of something that is going to happen fairly soon. The homunculi want nothing to do with this but it seems your little human associates will have their hands full." He said this quietly as she turned to look at him. "There is an army marching from the west, the military and whole nation is going to be thrown into chaos. Now you and eddy can stay here and fight your little brains out for the city and end up dying or you can go with eddy and head out east towards the sea with the philosopher's stone prototype. In doing that you not only save yourselves but you also find new leads to the real philosopher's stone." He said still running his fingers through her hair. Winry thought about it.

"I would have to talk with Ed, but now why are you telling me this? I thought the homunculi didn't want any part of this?" she asked. Envy leant over so that his face was touching hers.

"We don't but it would be tragic to see you and Edward dies after all the work we put into keeping you alive." He whispered as Winry looked at him.

"Keeping us alive? You're the one that cost me an arm! And I didn't even do anything!" she spat as Envy sighed.

"Yes I know that unfortunately was an accident thanks to greed. May that bastard rot in hell! But really we have done a lot to keep you alive." Envy rolled onto his back as Winry looked at him.

" I still have to talk with Ed and knowing him he is going to want to stay in Central and fight." She said as Envy sighed and rolled back to face her.

"Then I guess I'll have to hang around to try to protect the both of you" he winked at her and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. "See you round" and he was gone.

Winry rolled over scrubbing at her cheek where his lips had touched her skin, making it crawl. Then she had a dastardly evil plan, if Ed decided that Vikki was better than her then Envy would be able to play a key role in helping her win back Ed. Oh was she evil.

A knock caught her attention as she rolled over.

"Hey uh Winry?" it was Ed's voice. Winry felt her blood pressure begin to rise as her temper flared.

"What do you want" she said sharply as she heard him bang his head off of the wall for his stupidity. Those made a bit of her cheery demeanour come back.

"I, I wanted to say. Look I'm sorry for earlier." He said as she gave a snort it would take a lot more than that for her to forgive him. But why was she angry with him in the first place? Anger forgotten she opened the door.

He looked at her, worry on his face as she gave a smile.

"You're forgiven" she said "but I have some information I need to tell you and Al about. Do you know where he is?" she asked as he nodded and went to get them. Meanwhile Winry cleared off the chairs in her room as well the floor. She had more than a few pieces of auto-mail lying around.

Ed, Al and to Winry's vexation Vikki. They all took a seat as Winry took a breath.

"This may come as a shock to you but were in the beginning of a war." She said as everyone looked at each other Ed shrugged.

"We knew one was coming just not when." He said as Winry sigh she knew the war he was thinking of.

"No Ed, this isn't a civil war with the Ishbalians. There's a new threat coming. They're marching over the mountains and they're coming to take over. From Resembool to the ocean. They're going to conquer it all." She said as Al looked at her in disbelief.

"How do you know this?" Vikki snapped as she stood and marched to stand almost nose to nose with Winry. "Where did you get your information!" she yelled as Winry glared at the young girl.

"Envy told me. And you know why? He fells sorry for me. And you want to know why he feels sorry for me? Because thanks to your father I'm a chimera not to mention the fact that I've put up with enough BS from not only you who thinks you own the Elric brothers but from everyone saying I don't belong since I'm Female!" Winry bit down her tongue. She had almost said the real reason Envy had told her. Not good, not good at all.

Vikki looked like she had been kicked as she sat down hard on the floor. Winry shifted her gaze to Ed and AL who both appeared stunned. Al recovered first.

"What do we do then? Mustang will call on us to fight for him and you'll be put into designing new and horrid ways to kill people" AL said gesturing to Winry.

"Run away" was Winry's simple answer as Ed gave her a disbelieving look.

"No we will not run away" Ed said calmly.

"Then what Ed do you want to die? Do you really want everything we've worked for to go up in smoke?" She said as Ed stood and gave her a hard look as he reached for the door handle.

"We stay" he said and left. Winry's temper flared.

"Then you've condemned us all to death! Thank you Edward Thomas Elric!" she yelled and slumped against a wall. She could feel tears beginning to form around the corners of her eyes. Out of everything that had happened to them why couldn't Ed see that now was the time to run. There were times to fight and times to flee. Now was a time to flee and what was he doing? Running head first into trouble.

Al gave her a hug as she sobbed quietly. After she finished she looked into his gold eyes.

"Why can't he see that we should run? They'll be here in less than 48 hours. At least tell mustang about them for me please so it won't be a total annihilation" she said tottering away from Al and slowly making her way to the roof.

As she sat on top of the roof she saw AL leave with Vikki and the red alert go up all over Central. Shops closed, homes were barricaded and the military had set up its network to protect president Bradley. She also say them come back dragging Ed with them as Hawkeye and Mustang marched behind them. She wondered why Mustang and Riza would be coming to see her.

Footsteps alerted her to their presence as Riza took a seat next to her first, Mustang on her other side and Ed on Winry's other side.

"WE thank you for alerting us to this enemy coming in. We just realised why our spies in the outer villages weren't responding" Mustang said as Winry nodded and continued to stare out over the city as more people hustled to get ready and leave town.

Silence descended over the group as everyone watched the chaos below.

"I can't believe that this maybe the end" Vikki said as Ed grasped Winry's auto-mail hand in his.

"No it won't be but promise me one thing. Everyone meet back here at the end. If you don't make it here then I guess you failed to keep a promise" Riza said as everyone nodded.

"And so it begins" Ed said as they looked at the vast amount of burning furniture in the town square. "And so it begins"

#$)&(&+)()(&(&&$$&(&.

Bwahahahaha! I'm sorry my people but I'm off for two weeks to Newfoundland! Don't worry I'll be writing there! But u wont get the end of this for a while!

Until later

Demonica


	8. Battle royal

The silver rose 8

By Demonica…. Im typing im typing!

Chapter 8

Winry sat on her bed as she listened to the chaos outside. People were scattering and getting ready for the upcoming battle. A battle that she would be a part of, despite her hate for violence.

"Winry we have to go to Mustangs office, we've been alerted of some changes" Ed said as she hauled her arse off of her lumpy bed, following Ed quietly as they marched to Mustangs office. His office mirrored the chaos in the city. Papers were everywhere as well as coffee cups and pens, maps and a gun or two. Everyone had been crammed into the office as Mustang nodded to Hawkeye.

"We have been alerted to some new news about our attackers. Since they know that we know they are coming they have held back and retreated into the mountains." She stopped to take a breath as everyone breathed a sigh of relief for the moment they were safe, but the question was 'for how long?' "Another thing is that we're going on red alert until they attack. No one comes into the city nor leaves it. You're all dismissed" she said as most of the people piled out of the room to alert others of the new news and the state of security now being enforced throughout the city.

Winry shot Ed a glower as she too turned and marched out the doors.

"It seems you have some damage control to do Edward" Armstrong said as Ed sighed.

"Its not my damned fault! She wants me to take on a mission with her to the mountains to search for data and I wanted to defend the city. She won't get her head around that I'm tired of running away from things!" Ed snapped as Hawkeye shed some light onto his situation.

"I think it is less of her wanting to run away and more of trying to keep you and Alphonse safe isn't that why she joined the military?" Hawkeye's comment stopped everyone dead as she straightened a stack of papers. "What?" she asked as Ed hugged her.

"You maybe the best woman I have ever met" he said before bounding out of the doors after Winry.

"I couldn't agree with him more" Mustang said as a mound of paper hit him.

"That won't get you out of your paperwork sir" Hawkeye said as Mustang sighed.

"It was worth a try"

#)(+)(&$$$#!&$

Winry marched out of the front doors and into the pouring rain. It was cold for an autumn day; Winry stomped around the garden as she sat huddled under a tree.

"Fucking Edward, no flipping sense in the brainiac head of his! And why is it so damned cold!" Winry cursed up a storm as she sat hugging her knees for warmth.

"And why are we sitting alone on such a cold day as this?" Winry's nerves frayed even more at the whiney tone of Envy's voice.

"Envy I'm not in the mood right now to play your head games" she snapped as Envy stepped out from behind a tree with a rose.

"Oh you're no fun. Besides you look cold" he said sitting behind her, draping himself over her like a rag doll.

"OK not awkward at all" she muttered as Envy laughed.

"Sorry, no time to bring a coat so I gave you the next best thing" he said satisfied as Winry rolled her eyes.

"Are you always so forward?" she asked as Envy gave a very cat like grin.

"But of course" he said. Winry nodded and twirled the rose in her hand, with a small flash the petals turned bright silver as did the stem. Envy looked over her shoulder "A beautiful silver rose, how like you" he smiled as Winry found herself getting more and more creeped out by the way Envy was draped over her.

Ok screw the idea about using him to get back at Edward. I WANT OUT!

Winry heard footsteps as she turned to see Ed standing at the edge of the path looking utterly mortified. She continued to turn as Envy had already seen Ed and finished the moment by catching Winry's lips.

Ed couldn't believe what he was seeing. Winry. Envy. His best friend and arch nemesis. In his mind 2+2 was not 4 instead the whole calamity which was Ed's mind was thrown into chaos.

"Edward!" Winry's stifled cry came out more as a squeak as she hit Envy with the metal rose. Blood ran as Envy jumped away from her.

"Dammit woman!" Envy cursed and in a loud crack was gone. Winry fell to the ground managing to catch herself on her back, when she looked up Ed's blurry red figure was running away from her.

Now she had done it, gone and screwed it over. She bashed her head off of the ground as she lay there too tired and cold to even move.

"I hate myself" she muttered.

&+)(&!$.

AL heard Ed's heavy boots make contact with the wall as he threw them off and scampered upstairs to the reading room of the library. The librarian gave the ceiling a scowl as she went back to re-shelving books.

Al got up from his chair and marched up to where his older brother had disappeared to. At the top of the stairs everything was obscured by books, mounds and mounds of books. It was a sea that even the librarian wasn't allowed to touch until notified.

"Edward!" Al called as he followed the wet drip marks further into the sea of books. He continued until he was at the farthest end of the library, away from the windows where Ed sat huddled in a corner with his knees up to his forehead as he rocked back and forth whispering something to himself. "Ed are you okay?" al asked as Ed looked at him with such sadness displayed across his face. Al felt tears come to his eyes.

"Winry. Envy. Silver rose" was all he muttered before he went back to rocking. AL was confused, something about Winry and the homunculi? Al figured that something was amiss and Winry might be in trouble. He pulled off his coat and exchanged Ed's wet one for his dry one. Now it was time to go hunting for a Winry.

Al apologised to the librarian as he set out over the path towards the gardens that lead to the main office. Halfway along he past a tree with a rather large hole blown through its leaves.

We have to do something about Mustangs anger management classes; I wonder how that's going? Al pondered.

to mustangs anger management class!

Mustang sat in a chair with Hawkeye sitting next to him.

"Now I want you to draw what you feel makes you angry" a low voice said as mustang drew a very poor version of what looked like Ed sticking out his tongue. "I see" said the voice again. "Now what does this look like?" he held up a blob card.

"Edward"

"Edward"

"Edward"

"Hawkeye's boobs" a resounding thwack was heard across campus, followed by gunshots.

back to al (AN; O.o)

AL continued his search for Winry when he past a rather funny looking bench as he noticed it was actually Winry!

"Winry?" Al asked as she rolled her head to the side, her lips were blue as he picked her up and tried to cover her as best he could in Ed's soaked jacket. "Are you alright?" He asked as Winry looked blankly into the sky. Okay stupid question. Al hurried himself to the infirmary across campus as Winry continued to stare at the cloudy sky.

'I wonder if I could've screwed it up any worse?' she wondered as she gave a dry laugh. Well this was what she wanted wasn't it? A change to get back at Ed for always being with Vikki. She wondered if she was going insane as she saw the sky turn brilliant colours of reds and yellows. 'Ah yes, insanity how fun I could be inside my mind for all eternity. 'She smiled as Al looked down at her with a lazy grin splashed across her face. He could feel that she was becoming warmer by the second.

"Hey Winry?" Al's voice brought her back as she looked around.

"Oh Al! Um, where are we going?" she asked as AL stopped and let her stand by herself.

"I was heading for the infirmary did you not notice how cold you were?" he asked as she shook her head. "Hm" he replied as she looked at her feet. "May I ask what is going on between yourself and Ed?" he asked carefully as Winry's eyes suddenly brimmed with tears.

"I'm such a horrible person!" she sobbed as Al put his hand on her shoulder. She brushed away. "All I wanted was for Ed to pay attention it was always Vikki! Vikki, Vikki, Vikki! That conniving little woman! So I made a deal with Envy, he pretends to be interested in me; Ed gets jealous and then comes back to me! But no I had to screw it up I did! And now it looks like the city is under attack! So help me god I hope he can forgive me!" Winry sobbed as Al gave her a hug. Poor girl so much had happened to her and yet all she wanted was some time for them to be together. Winry sobbed as Al gently steered her in the direction of the library.

&)()&(&$)&(

Al entered the library first, leading Winry up the stairs into the sea of books. She could hear the faint thuds that sounded like someone hitting a wall. Sure enough as Al rounded the corner Ed sat, still hunched in a ball, staring straight ahead with his eyes completely blank.

Winry came around the corner as she gasped. What she saw frightened the hell out of her. Ed was reverting back to the stage when his mother had passed away and he had tried to revive her.

"e-Edward" she called as he crunched his legs closer to himself. Winry felt tears pooling again as she took step after step forward until she collapsed on her knees. AL ducked behind the books to give them some privacy and Winry collapsed. She cried as she apologised again and again. When Ed didn't respond she told him the whole reason behind her plot with envy. Ed didn't uncurl himself from a ball. She, in a last resort, grabbed his hand and shoved the rose of silver into his hand.

That got his attention, it was as if Winry had called him the most degrading name she could've. Ed got up as he hauled Winry to her feet. Winry was still sobbing as he looked down at her. He was beyond angry as he spat at her.

"DO you think I really appreciate being fawned over by Vikki!" he snapped as Winry gave a small nod. This seemed to increase his fury. "Do you think I find it amusing in any form that you went out and associated with the lowest dirt out there, a homunculus NOT TO MENTION ENVY!" Ed all but screamed the last part as Winry cowered.

"Ed, I-I'm sorry. I did it out of jealousy and spite" she whispered as Ed's rage calmed a bit. "But Ed, I-I'm frightened. I pissed off Envy and he knows about Vikki and the necklace." She didn't say any more and Ed's fury level sky rocketed.

"ALPHONSE!" he shouted as Al was suddenly standing right next to Ed.

"Yes Edward?" he asked as Winry was roughly shoved into his arms.

"Hide her" he commanded as Winry opened her mouth to retort, she was cut short as they were all thrown off of their feet by a blast from downstairs causing flames to lick up the front windows.

Winry felt herself being jostled as Ed lifted her from the pile of books and rubble they had been thrown into. Al stood a second later as Winry was passed to him.

"EDWARD!" Al roared as Ed disappeared down the flight of stairs.

"Meet me at the statue!" Ed said as he disappeared around a corner and vaulted a chain link fence before he was gone.

"EDWARD!" Winry was the one to scream this time as Al sucker punched her. Causing her to fall unconscious.

"Sorry Winry, this is for your own good" he said as he hefted her on one shoulder as made a dash for the dorms.

!&)(&(&)&/

'Dammit, fuck, shit, son of a bitch, I'm a moron' Ed chanted as he dashed down alleyways that had seen better days and mounds of burning garbage. He was headed for the front lines, as more bombs went off blasting beautiful 200 year old buildings to dust and plaster rubble.

Winry of all people, even she had betrayed him. He felt tears collecting as he pulled up to the statue on the outside of the town square. Most of the other alchemists had already gathered as Alphonse jogged over and met him.

"Ready to go everyone?" mustang commanded as everyone nodded and followed him away from the protective walls of the city.

The sight that met the alchemists was one of chaos, destruction, and violence. Bodies were littered all across the plain as the mob of invaders battle, easily four hundred strong and more coming. Ed felt his stomach churn; he had never seen anything so hideous as this.

"On the count of three!" mustang called as the alchemists lined up along Central's outer barricade.

"One" Ed felt himself beginning to feel very ill at the sight as Al steadied his brother with one arm.

"Two" Winry's tear streaked face flashed up in his vision as he felt his lunch rising.

"THREE!" Ed's lunch went over the wall as a round of chain explosions rocked the battle field. Many of the invaders were shocked to see alchemists others were annoyed and some even trained their attack to where they were standing.

"Are you okay Ed?" Al asked as Ed nodded and stood, he surveyed the area. They could not get past them, he wouldn't let them!

"I'm fine" he snapped as he slapped his hands down on the barricade as hundreds of dirt spikes tore up through the ground. Many of the soldiers were killed instantly, others died quickly of blood loss, and the lucky ones concentrated their attack on the barricade.

"Again!" Mustang commanded as hundreds of explosions went off. But it was for naught, many of the soldiers were to close to the barricade as Hawkeye reeled back from the wall, blood covering her tunic. "Riza!" mustang exclaimed as he caught her. She had been shot in the shoulder as she gripped the wound tightly.

"I'm fine!" she snapped trying to stand again. Mustang forced her behind him as she shot from his side.

The attackers were painfully close now, bombs were weakening the base of the barricade as more and more alchemists were recruited to repair the damages. Al and Ed continued to blast the be-Jesus out of the force. But they kept appearing almost like ghosts. The more that died the more that came!

"We'll never win at this rate!" AL shouted as another 30 or so men died in a wild fire before it died out.

"We have to keep trying!" Ed snapped as they were all suddenly thrown off of their feet. The bottom of the barricade had given way!

Ed and Al scrambled to the next building which happened to be a church roof. The other alchemists had managed to climb onto another building; the only problem now was that the invaders were pouring into the city like a draining bathtub!

Both brothers looked at each other as their thoughts clicked.

"Winry!"

# $)&(&( 9.

Winry rolled over as she landed on something hard. Opening an eye she noticed she was lying on her bed securely tied down by her bed sheets. Sometimes she hated how smart the two brothers were.

Rolling off of the bed she managed to get her ankles on the floor as she stretched to try to grab her tools bag. She was just an inch too short as she stretched all the way out. She just barely touched the bag. Sighing in defeat she turned to look for something else to cut herself free with. She needed to hurry to get to the front lines!

That's when she noticed the bedroom lamp that Al had painstakingly re glued together.

"Sorry Al" she muttered as she knocked the lamp off the table. It shattered as she grabbed a razor sharp piece of glass and began sawing at her arm binds. Finally she managed to cut a piece off as she ripped the sheet, and untied her other wrist. Finally she could get out! As she went to open the door she pulled it, only to realise AL had transmuted the door closed. She had had enough. Clapping her hands together she blew the door off of its hinges.

Now, to find them. She started off down the hall as the building rocked. Winry looked out the nearest window. Hundreds of invaders were pouring down the streets like flood water as she let out a squeak and ran to the roof. From there maybe she could do some damage and find the brothers!

The top of the stairway had been blown to pieces as Winry scrambles over the rubble. On the roof she could see a large part of the campus as people flooded into the area throwing bombs and terrorizing the citizens.

Winry felt the static in the air as she smiled and felt the electric tingle before she opened her eyes and picked a point in the centre of the square. She clapped her hands to the ground as there was a flash and screams.

Winry looked upon the square to see about fifty or so of the invaders charbroiled remains. The invaders continued to flood in as the violence escalated and buildings began to burn. Children wailed, mothers screamed, husbands fought with whatever they had as the invaders slaughtered them all.

Winry felt tears course down her cheeks as she witnessed a mother grab a crying little boy and run for a building as fast as she could. Her husband fighting off a wave in invaders. Winry slapped her hands down again and again as more and more bodies piled up. The invaders were loosing as Winry heard explosions coming from across the square. Looking up she saw two flashes or gold and one of red before a bomb hit the building in a shower of fire and rubble.

Winry sighed in relief, they were alive after all. She threw her hands down again as the invaders were becoming fewer and fewer.

"Winry!" Ed's voice called as she turned her head. He was standing on the next building, covered in soot and dirt bit otherwise fine.

"Ed!" she smiled as he waved and slapped his hands down, the rubble in the square having spikes shoot all around impaling invaders and civilians alike. Winry slapped her hands down as she felt something shudder under her as suddenly the building began to give way.

"WINRY! Oh god Winry!" Ed exclaimed as he watched her in slow motion. Her face panicked as she made a super slow dash across the roof and soon she was walking on nothing but air.

"EDWARD!" She screamed as she turned towards him, her arms extended, horror written all across her face. As Ed watched helplessly she disappeared into the cloud of dust as the building made a sickening crunch against the ground below.

Ed stood motionless. Winry was gone. In a fleeting moment everything that had been left of his world had collapsed under a heavy mound of concrete. Anger bubbled through him, his Winry was gone and it was thanks to those bastards that had destroyed her.

He let out a scream that sounded like a wild animal, tearing his vocal chords. Heads turned as it echoed around the square. Ed clapped his hands together as he slammed them down on the concrete, his auto-mail protesting as it cracked the concrete below him.

"Ed?" AL asked as the power from Ed's transmutation took affect. A mist slowly surrounded the invaders as it slowly seeped into them. Each one had a look of panic on their faces as Riza collapsed into Roy's arms at the sigh of the mist.

"No, he, he can't!" Riza whispered as screams echoed from the invaders. As sickening crunches filled the air, Crunches of bones cracking as bodies exploded. Al turned away from his brother and the scene throwing up violently over the side of the building.

Ed collapsed on his front, covering his ears with his hands as he felt the grainy surface of the concrete on the side of his face.

The air was eerily quiet as the last of the invaders that hadn't been affected by the mist high tailed it away from Central and back to their homeland. Ed stood as if he were a sleepwalker and suddenly found himself in front of the massive pile of rubble that had accumulated from the collapse of the dormitory.

He began frantically digging through it, not caring if pieces of metal and concrete tore at his hands. He transmuted large boulders into gravel as he shifted mounds of dirt. He didn't notice as others began helping him dig. Slowly he unearthed parts of auto-mail that had once been in her room. Books and other objects that had been hers. Before long the entire area had been cleared and there wasn't a trace of Winry. Not a hair not a scrap of clothing. Nothing to suggest she had been there.

Ed sat down hard as he stared at the rubble. His worst fear had come true, Winry was gone. The one person he tried to protect the most was gone. HE buried his face in his hands.

"Edward?" it was Riza's soft voice that jostled him to look up. Tears streaming down his face as she hugged him. "This was all we found" she said handing over an elegant silver rose with 'my beloved Edward' Carved in one of the leaves. He stared at it as he felt his world coming down. The sobs began as everyone moved away from the distraught boy; Riza continued holding him as everyone left. Their hearts all the more heavy of what the fateful day had brought.

(A few months later)

Ed stood in front of a grave. It of course was empty as was the coffin that had momentarily laid to rest in it. For they had never found her, not a trace. It was as if she had vanished right off the face of the earth. HE held the same silver rose in his hand as he did the day of the battle.

Ed looked ragged; he hadn't slept properly or eaten. His clothes were wrinkled and he was unshaved. His hair was tousled and thrown back into a lazy ponytail instead of its usual plait.

"Ed, I'm going to be at Aunt Pinako's house. Join us there if you like" Al said as he watched his brother nod slowly and continue to stare at the fake grave. Sighing he left his brother standing as he helped Pinako back to her home.

Ed stared at the inscription as if it were written in a different language. He continued to read and re-read it as if looking for another meaning to the words.

Winry Rockbell

1880-1897

Here I lie under the sky, don't weep for me for I have completed my mission to my brothers. Live on in my stead.

Ed sighed and he dropped to his knees in front of the stone. Laying his head against its smooth surface.

"I'm sorry Winry. I'm sorry I couldn't save you" he whispered as he set a small vase of white roses on the side of the grave as he meandered back to the house.

The atmosphere in the house was silent and stiff as if everyone was waiting for something to burst forth. But as Ed passed by them all at the table and shut his bedroom door he realised he had missed his room and had settled himself in Winry's old room.

He looked around, the room was familiar. All of the things she and he had played with. The tea set he had broken once by accident. Or the stuffed cat she had carried everywhere with her even when it had been dropped into the river and he had 'saved' it. Earning him his first kiss from her.

He laughed at the thought as he flopped down on her bed. The soft smell of her shampoo was still there as he inhaled deeply. He looked up and saw a vase of dried white roses that he remembered giving her the day he left home so she wouldn't be too lonely.

A few tears leaked down his face as he rolled over buying his face in the pillow. OH how he missed her. He sighed deeply as he drifted off to sleep for the first time in many weeks he didn't dream of her face as she fell through the dust and rubble of their old dorm.

&TIU(YUY$#!Q$E&&$

OH! You all hate me! Im sorry but the Silver rose is drawing to a close only another couple of chapters left! Woot!

Neway sry to end on a depressing not but it gets better! I prmise I like happy endings too much.

R&R its very greatly appreciated!

Until Later

Demonica.

Ps. Can someone get envy back. I sent him out hours ago to get me my coffee! BUY ME COFFEE! (points to Al)

Al: Me?

Demonica: BUY ME COFFEE!

Al: sure (walks off)

Ed: I found doughnuts!

Demonica: NO touchy!

Ed: fine! (transmutes Authors pants off)

Demonica: I NEED THOSE! (covers self with computer)

Ed: doughnuts first (takes doughnuts) Here's your pants

Demonica: you're so dead next chapter (evil eye glints)

Al: (hands over coffee) Ed, you're screwed (hands Ed coffee)

Ed: but of course. I just wanted the doughnuts

Mustang: (snatches doughnuts and walks off)

Al: theres karma for you.

Ed: I don't believe it. (turns to Demonica ) I hate u so much.

Demonica: until later!


	9. onward

Silver rose 9

Sorry! My computer crashed and took all of my files with it cries but I'm okay now I have my computer back YAY!!! LoL ok onward for the much awaited chapter!

Edward awoke to light streaming in through the open windows across from him. He was still in Winry's old room, her scent covering everything in the room. It was so pleasant. And yet, the hole in his chest seemed to widen as he rolled over and inhaled the scent on her blankets. He missed her terribly.

"Winry" he sighed as the door creaked open.

"Brother?" Al asked as Ed sighed and sat up groggily.

"Yes?" he asked as Al looked at the floor.

"They're summoning us back to Central. Mustang has another mission for us." He said quietly as Ed felt his chest constrict as he flopped back onto the small bed. He released a sigh; all he wanted to do was crawl into a hole and cry for a few days.

"No rest for the weary" he said rolling out of the bed and slowly making it. Al nodded,

"We leave in an hour" he said as Ed stopped making the bed and looked out the patio doors.

"Sure" he said as Al left, he knew Ed wanted to be alone. It had been especially hard on him, loosing yet another one of the women in his life that he had loved.

Ed left the bed and walked out onto the balcony, dead leaves covered it as he rolled back the door feeling the frosty air swoop by him and suck a good chunk of heat out of the room. She had always stood on this balcony waiting for them to come home or watching them as they went back on their quest. Now their quest was over and what did he have to show for it? A living brother and a missing… sister? No, he loved her more than that and in a different way. Girlfriend? She was close to that, he just never had the courage to ask her. He sighed.

One hour, then he was back on the search for some fable stone. He was tired of this endless struggle. He had lost so much, and wanted nothing for gain. Winry was gone; he wasn't going to bring her back. He knew that a homunculus of her was wrong, even if he could find some of her DNA which was highly unlikely.

He pottered about her room, taking down small mementos of their childhood and things he had wondered why she had wanted to keep at the time. One of his old t-shirts, it smelt faintly of her, a baseball and glove with a stain on it where he had spilt grape juice on it and she had laughed while he ranted about his favorite glove. A tube of lip gloss that he had stolen one day and tried to eat because it smelt good, ha that was the last time he stole any of Winry's things.

A slightly rusted wrench sat apart from all of the others it had a blue ribbon wrapped around it. He picked it up. This was the first wrench he had given her. He had found it in his basement and tied his hair ribbon around it hoping it would suffice. She had loved it and obviously treasured it. A small smile crossed his face as he tucked the wrench in his coat pocket. Something of a memory that she was, he felt slightly closer to her all the same.

!#$&&$#!

The station at central was as bustling as ever as Ed and Al stepped off and made their way silently to headquarters. Al kept quiet as did Ed, even when they entered the office, heads turned as the brothers passed. A few looks of sympathy, a few of disgust, a few of pity, all of them degrading in Ed's mind.

They trooped silently to Mustangs office. Hawkeye greeted them as the brothers sat on the emerald couches facing the office desk Mustang sat behind.

"I see you have returned from the funeral" Mustang said as Ed shrugged and crossed his legs. Al kept silent as Mustang raised an eyebrow. "Any way, here is your next assignment. You will be investigating some activity that has been noticed by some villagers up in the Saddleback Mountains. Your train leaves in four hours." Hawkeye handed the papers to Al who nodded. She looked at Ed before both brothers stood. Hawkeye did something Ed would always remember. She hugged both of them, tightly, as she held onto them for a solid minute before letting them go and dismissing them.

Mustang watched Riza with curiosity as the brothers left. Slowly, Riza turned around and began hastily filing papers as Mustang stood from his desk and walked a cross the room. He came to a stand behind her as she looked up at him, tears collecting in her eyes.

"They're endured so much. How can they keep going?" she asked as Mustang enveloped her in a hug.

"They're strong. They'll survive" he said as she clung to him. Mustang looked out the double paned windows at the billowy grey sky, as he held the sobbing Riza.

!#$&&$#!

Ed and Al sat on the train in silence. Their trip back to their new dorm rooms had been a painful experience. Ed had once again looked over all of the pieces of Winry's stuff they had found. Pieces of clothing and little artifacts that she had treasured that now seemed stupid and lifeless without their owner.

Ed put his hand inside his coat pocket as he ran his hands over the smooth metal of the wrench she had treasured.

He sighed and looked out the window as Al watched his brother. They had both lost someone dear to them, someone who meant more than anything in the world to them. Vikki, caught in an explosions as she managed to keep the prototype philosophers stone away from the invaders. Winry also caught in an untimely explosion. Both girls' bodies never found. It was a mystery in itself.

The train rattled on well into the night as both brothers drifted into an uneasy sleep.

!#$&&$#!

Winry opened her eyes as she noticed bubbles were floating gently past her face and the sensation of weightlessness that over took her senses. Looking around she noticed the outside world was distorted and warped like it was behind bent glass. She turned her head as she noticed long tubes and wires connected to her naked body, a pair of black wings were frozen behind her as she looked around the room. Its warped shape held images of other tubes like her own. Some empty, some with creatures in them, one in particular held a girl that she felt she knew. How did she get here? Had she always been here? No. there was a faint feeling of something that was not right. A face of a blonde haired young man ran through her mind as everything clicked together. Edward. Where was she? She seemed to be in a laboratory of some kind. From the looks of the warped room in front of her it looked like a laboratory out of a movie. There was even the large electric machine that covered an entire wall.

Movement caused her to look out of the corner of her eye, Envy and Lust walked by arm in arm to a large podium near the other side of the room where a large man sat. He had many tubes and wires hanging off of him as Envy seemed to converse with him before Lust had her turn and both nodded to the man and began to walk away.

Winry followed them as her gaze obviously alerted Envy. He halted right before her tube like prison.

"Well Winry, you've finally awaken. Welcome to our home. Welcome to god's domain." He smiled as he gestured around the room. The language he used was rough on her nerves as she shook her head slowly and glared at Envy.

"Where's Edward?!" she gurgled but Envy just cocked his head sideways as if he didn't understand and shook his head.

"Until you're out of there I can't understand you. Ta!" he said as he and Lust marched off once again. Winry glared at them as she tried to move her arms. She quickly began to tire as she felt her eyelids droop and sleep once again claimed her.

!#$&&$#!

The area the brothers were staying in was desolate to say in the least. Ed looked around at the room they were to be boarding in, it was small and cozy. A huge fire roared in the mantle and the beds had thick handmade quilts.

It was less depressing where they were staying but the people of the town was what surprised them. They seemed so depressed and bitter it was disheartening to watch as mothers yelled at their children and fathers drank excessively.

"Talk about a dysfunctional society" Ed muttered as Al nodded, looking at the people who hurried by on the streets.

"Shall we go looking for information brother?" Al asked as Ed stretched out on the bed. It was soft and warm like the room.

"Later, after supper, I have a few things I wish to ask our hostess." He said with a slight grin as Al felt his stomach drop. What was on Ed's mind? Al sighed and rustled around in his bag for a book before joining Ed on the bed across from his.

Night fell on the little town the boys were staying in. Downstairs was a full blown party. Ale and beer flowed like amber rivers as everyone drank and sang. Ed wasn't so inclined to be drunk off his rocker like many of the people in the inn were.

"So, have you seen any strange things around here?" Ed asked as a drunken bar maid wrapped herself over him.

"OH yesh, we have seen a lot of strange creatures running around lately" she said in a thick accent as he gave her a charming grin and ran his fingers through her long wavy hair.

"Really, I'm very…. Interested in strange creatures" he said seductively. Al nearly spat out the mouthful of coke he had taken as Ed essentially wrapped himself around the bar maid. She giggled and looked into his eyes.

"There's a cave of some kind up on north ridge pass. No one ever goes there, Hm… what do you say? Would you care to join me for a little… fun?" she giggled again as Ed gently moved her off to the side. She pouted like a five year old.

"Don't worry darling, I'll be back." he said as Al moved to follow him.

"This is ludicrous!" Al snapped as Ed smirked and began talking to another woman who looked like someone who would know about everything that happened in town by how fast her mouth was moving.

Al sighed. Once Ed was fixated he wouldn't give up for the life of him. Giving up trying to persuade his brother into doing anything, Al sat down at a table and busied himself with examining the labels on the shot bottles.

A few hours later Ed tottered back to Al, who had finished examining his 42nd bottle of liqueur. Flopping down next to Al, Ed ordered a beer and sat grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"What have you found out brother?" Al asked as Ed took a swig of his beer. Ed looked at his brother with something akin to vengeance and excitement.

"I've found out where the homunculus have been hiding, and were going there tonight" Ed grinned.

Al fell off his stool, as a few people stared.

"Al?" Ed asked as Al stood up.

"ARE YOU STARK RAVING MAD?!" Al snapped as Ed looked around as if he were asking someone else, then looked back at Al.

"Is that a rhetorical question?" Ed asked as Al glared at him. Ed sighed and took another swig of his drink.

"No I haven't. I've already radioed the colonel he's on his way. We go at sunrise" Ed said calmly like he was talking about the weather. Al's eye twitched.

"Are you so sure this is the place?" al asked, then added "you're not doing this just to take your mind off the fact that Winry's gone" Ed glared as his brother as he stood and slammed his drink on the table.

"These people have been seeing Chimeras, hundreds of them and strange beings that can morph and eat anything. I think this is where Envy and his possy have been hiding." Ed said as Al nodded.

"But, how do we know this information is reliable?" Al asked as Ed motioned for al to follow him. The duo pushed through the crowd and out into an old barn that would've been used for cleaning meat from hunting trips. Inside was one of the most hideous chimeras Al had ever seen.

It was serpent like with huge fangs protruding from its mouth and irregular spikes on it back and all of the angles of the creature's body were estranged. Bent at irregular angles and twisted.

Al paled as Ed nodded towards the critter.

"That's why were going up the mountain tomorrow morning." All Al could do was nod as the brothers walked back to their lodging.

!#$&(&$#!

I know you all REALLY hate me. But guess what I updated only like a year after I said I would XD o wow im horrible.

Anyway R&R, love you guys!

Demonica!


	10. death throes

Silver rose 10

Silver rose 10

Bright and early the sun rose over the sleepy mountains and the tiny town that was nestled within its depths. Just outside the towns outskirts sat a small army of 200 or so men stood knee deep in fresh snow. They were all waiting for the command to start heading up the mountain. Many knew this would probably be their last battle, some were just itching to get up the mountain.

All heads turned as two figures marched up the steep hill from the sleepy town. Ed and Al had had no issues leaving the inn at such an early hour. Except for a warning about the snow they were expected to get that evening.

Ed looked up at the mountains, everything was so eerily still that morning. Nothing moved, nothing breathed. No wind moaned, no birds sang, and what was most eerie was the fact that a dead silence pressed over the town. It seemed to cut it off from the rest of the world.

Mustang turned to face the brothers as he gave them a nod. Ed nodded back then signaled for the men to follow. The hike up the mountain was slow, Mustang kept having to order the men to redistribute the ammunitions because the men kept sinking in the deep snow.

Ed and Al scouted for the cave that the bar maid had told them about. It was not easy to find in the deep snow. There were no other tracks along the mountain pass they had taken to allow them to assume there was any activity on the mountain at all.

Ed was finding this most peculiar as Mustang called them to a halt. The men were exhausted from their morning climb.

"We cant push them much further fullmetal, They're not accustomed to this weather' mustang muttered as Ed scowled. He wasn't known for his patience as he started walking again.

'brother?' Al asked as Ed ignored him and continued climbing. Mustang and Al shared a look before the officer waved the suit of armour on. Al followed Ed who was definitely determined to find the strange cave the maid had been talking about.

'This is ludicrous Ed!" Al sighed as they rounded a set of boulders covered in ice and snow. They had been walking for well over an hour by then.

'Were not stopping Al' Ed's voice was cold as they pressed on the mountains were definitely a forboding feature as they rose up like giant icy pikes in the background. Al gulped.

'Shouldn't we wait for the colonel?" Al attempted one more as his brothers eyes glared at him.

'We're not stopping' he stated before there was a loud crack from beneath their feet. Ed's eyes widened before they both felt nothing supporting their weight.

It was a long fall. Ed wasn't sure how far he fell but it really hurt when he landed on the ice slide. He resisted the urge to scream as he picked up speed looping and twisting through the dark cavern before he was airborne. It was completely dark as he landed on solid ground with a heavy thump the wind knocked from him. A crash followed, it turns out that Al had followed him on the ice slide.

'Are you alright Edward?' Al asked as Ed drew out a glow stick from his pack. The small area was illuminated to find they were actually in what looked like an abandoned boiler room.

'Yeah fine' he muttered getting to his feet. They had found it, the hide out. The air was still frigid as they looked for a door of any kind.

Ed thought it was rather funny how easily they had found the homunculi's base by literally just dropping in. Maybe at one point this had been an old mining camp or something. Something seemed utterly wrong about the whole situation as AL opened the heavy steel door on the opposite side of the room.

They crept into the hall outside of the boiler room and gently closed the door. It was slightly warmer in the hallway as the brothers exchanged looks. Silently they followed the direction the warmth was coming from, if there was any chance that they would find the homunculi it would be where it was warm. They passed many bolted doors, the place looked more like a bomb shelter than anything else as the tunnel suddenly ended. Ed peaked around the corner into the large circular room that had an enormous chair at one end.

In the chair sat a man that looked remarkably like his father. He had met the man before, a force to be reconned with. Before him stood all of the homunculi from envy to wrath stood before him.

'What's going on Ed?" Al asked as he shook his head. He couldn't hear what was going on from his point but he knew that the easiest way to take out the homunculi would be in one giant explosion that would impair them long enough to get the philosopher's stones out of their chests.

'We need more back up, we cant get all of the stones ourselves with eight on two.' He whispered. AL nodded as someone tapped Ed's shoulder, he turned to see none other than the colonel looking at him. Ed double checked, Envy was still listening to whatever the god haired man was talking about.

'We have you enforcements. Shall we begin?" Mustang asked. Ed nodded as Mustang waved his soldiers closer to him. "ready?" Mustang asked as the others braced themselves. Suddenly an enormous flame thrower erupted from the colonel engulfing the other room in a massive fireball. The heat was intense as soldier rushed into the room. Ed and Al joined the fight as Envy laughed plunging his hand through a soldiers body.

'Ah Fullmetal, how joyous of you to come to our home, Prepared to die?' He asked with a malicious grin as Ed transformed his arm into a sword.

'Bring it Envy' he snapped as Envy flew at Ed. They parried blows and alchemic attacks as Envy landed quite a few nearly fatal blows to Ed's body. Envy managed to have his hand pinned by Ed's sword as there was an ear shattering scream. Lust disintegrated into dust as did sloth in a fiery inferno from the colonel, their philosopher's stones exploding into miniscule grains of black sand.

'Don't get distracted!' Al snapped pulling Envy's arms and stabbing him through his chest. Envy coughed up blood as a grin crossed his face.

'Didn't you try this already?' he asked as Ed removed the sword from envy's hand and in one fluid motion slit his stomach open. 'Smart boy" Envy hissed as he chocked on a laugh 'are you ready to see your precious Winry?' he sneered as Ed felt his blood boil. Envy snickered 'I had some fun with her DNA molecules. Alchemy is just science isnt that what you said once? I hope you like my suprise. I think I've improved her for you, she's a real angel' He laughed manically as Ed glared at the phsychotic immortal. The philosophers stone within envy pulsed red as Ed grabbed it. Envy's face contorted in rage as it was removed from his body. Al let go as did Ed. Envy began to transform as Ed gave the signal.

'NOW COLONEL!' Al screamed as Envy was enveloped in a giant ball of flames. Ed had to shield himself from the intense flames as he felt the skin on his arm become agitated and the metal of his other arm become unbearably hot.

'DAMN YOU FULLMETAL!!" Envy screamed as there were more screams from the other dying homunculi. A deep chuckle mad Ed turn his head. The golden haired man looked at him.

'Very good. It seems that you have learnt to destroy my creations, how ever destroying me and finding your precious little angel might be a little bit more difficult' he laughed as Ed's eyes narrowed his heart was constricting as he remembered the report about Envy carrying Winry off as the light sighting of her body.

'What have you done to Winry!' Ed snapped as Hoenhiem waved off the comment.

'Nothing too serious, she was a rather interesting experiment I have to admit' he laughed as Ed's rage became unbearable.

'DIE!' Ed snapped as he charged at the blonde man. He was easily deflected and sent careening into a wall. Ed heard something snap as he noticed his good arm was broken. There were more dying screams from the homunculi as a torrential rain of spikes, fire, lightening and water pelted Hoenheim. He deflected them all as Ed saw Gluttony running for his body. Al grabbed the nasty homunculus, ripping the red stone from its body he threw it to Ed.

The tiny stone clutched in Ed's hand pulsed before he felt the immense power this little stone held.

"Impressive isn't it Edward?' Hoenheim moved closer to Ed. Ed stood as he watched the colonel steal wrath's stone. Hoenheim walked closer as Ed smiled.

'You're right as always but it seems that you've miscalculated your plans again. Hoenhiem' Ed stated as the blonde man looked confused. At once he looked down. He was standing in the middle of an insanely intricate transformation circle. Al seemed to smirk as Ed, Al, the colonel, and major Armstrong all placed their hands on the circle. A bright white light flared as everything in the room seemed to dissolve. Immediately the gates rose up in front of Hoenheim. Ed watched from his place on the ground as the door opened slightly. This circle had been something he and Al had been researching for years. It was a modified human transmutation circle that was balanced more for giving that for taking. The eye fixed on hoenheim as the black whispy arms slithered out of the doors and grasped onto the blonde man.

Ed was startled as he began to laugh manically as the arms started to pull him in, dissolving him piece by piece.

'Good work Elric brothers!' he laughed as a face appeared in the doorway. It grinned out with a hundred eyes as it looked at the circle of people still pushing energy into the circle.

'One body and soul is taken, what do you wish for in return' the words echoed painfully in everyone's heads as Al spoke up.

'The return of one arm and one leg to Edward Elric's body'Al stated as all of the alchemists felt the drain of the circle on their bodies.

'Consider it done. Anything else?' the voice asked as Ed threw the little blob of a philosophers stone to the gate as eager black wispy hands snatched the little blob or red. 'Yes?' it hissed as Al looked fearfully at his brother, Ed's arm was sending shooting pains to his shoulder as the gatekeeper's eyes turned to them.

'Done, our exchange is complete' the voice stated as suddenly Ed and Al's vision both whited out.

………………..

'Edward, Edward!' Armstrong's voice roused him as he sat up. His limbs felt tingly as he saw that his arm was still steel.

'What happened?' he asked as he looked across from him. The colonel carried an unconscious teenaged Alphonse over his shoulder.

'Your original body is back' he said as an explosion rocked the area. 'We have to get out now!' he said hauling Ed to his feet. A sharp pain coursed down Ed's arm as he noticed that the outer shell of the automail was crushing his arm.

'help me get this off, its crushing my arm!' he panted as Armstrong broke the steel plating clean off. Ed stared at his tanned arm, it seemed so weird to see brown not silver as he noticed the long lines of blood running down his arm. He torn off the hem of his shirt and wrapped his arm as he hissed in pain from the fracture in the opposite arm. There was no time to splint the injury as he remembered the last part of his mission.

'Let's go!' Armstrong urged as Ed remembered one of the main reasons for coming here. He jerked out of the major's grasp as the colonel finished off pride in one explosion.

'We have to find Winry!' he exclaimed as Armstrong's eyes softened. Ed looked frantic as he looked at the maze of pipes and tubing that led away from the room.

'We have no idea where she would be if she were even alive Ed!' the major argued as ed found the tunnel with the most pipes and fluid carrying pipes running through it. He took off down the tunnel the major and colonel hot on his tail. "EDWARD! This place is coming down around our ears, we have to get out now!' the colonel snapped but Ed was beyond hearing words, he ran following the pipes.

………….

Boom. Boom……..Boom. BOOM!

Winry opened her eyes, the bubbles continued to float past her as she heard the dull sound of explosions. What was happening? She moved and arm to look at the wires and tubes that were hooked into her skin. She was alive she knew that much and she knew she had to escape. Pictures of falling buildings and homunculi flashed through her minds eye. Before she knew it she was pulling the wires off and tubes from her skin.

The machines around her were emitting beeps and alarms were going off as she fought with the hundreds of wires. Errors were coming from the machines as she felt something move behind her. The respirator mask she was wearing blocked her view of most of her body as she pressed her back against the wall of the tubing and gave a sharp kick.

The glass in front of her cracked a little before the spiderweb grew, and grew. The pressure of the water broke the glass as she was suddenly dumped onto her rear as all of the pink liquid rushed over the floor with broken shards of glass. The machines continued to go haywire as she shakily stood. She had yet to remove the respirator as she felt more wires and tubes being pulled from her skin.

The booms grew louder as she gently pulled off the respirator mask. The air around her had a pungent sterile smell as footsteps echoed down the hall way. Turning she noticed something grey behind her. Turning she saw something that nearly made her faint. Wings; beautiful charcoal grey wings. She fluttered them slightly as her shoulder muscles went into spasms. She gasped and held onto one of the machines until the spasms stopped. What had they done to her? They had used her as a science experiment and played with her DNA the twisted psychos.

The footsteps were getting louder as she grabbed a labcoat, slashed holes for her wings and dressed herself then grabbed a shard of glass as a weapon.

'ED STOP!' she recognized the colonel's voice as she felt utter relief wash through her. She took a few shaky steps as a familiar blonde figure rounded the corner. He stopped and stared at her as she felt a smile creep onto her face. A look of horror crossed his as she stopped. What was wrong?

'Edward?' she asked as the others froze behind him. Ed could not believe his eyes, he didnt know what to look at first. The broken tube, the net of broken wires and tubes from where it seemed that Winry had come from. The pink viscous liquid stuck to his boots as he looked at winry. She was the same person he remembered except something was different. ALmost wrong with her as he watched the various pinpoints where the tubes had been attached bleed sluggishly. She looked better than she once had, stronger, leaner nearly perfect as her telltale grin crossed her face._'shes a real angel_' Envy's voice echoed within his head as a rumbling feral snarl came from behind Winry. They all froze as she turned around slowly, behind her were six horrifically disfigured chimera all looking ready to attack. She back away slowly from them as another boom shook the entire cavern causing the leftover wires to swing like tentacles from the ceiling. It made Ed sick to his stomach as he looked back to Winry. One of the Chimeras had crouched ready to pounce as she seemed frozen.

'RUN WINRY!' Ed yelled as she broke into a sprint away from the chimeras. Ed slammed his hands into the doorway beside him crying out as his broken arm jarred against the hard steel of the door. They gave chase before the cavern wall suddenly closed off just inches behind Winry's heels as she crashed into Ed. She hugged him, crushing him to her body as he returned the hug. He didnt realise how much he had missed her until he ahd her in his arms again. The moment was short as the major grabbed both of them and ran through the tunnel.

'What's going on?" she asked as Ed explained the enormous battle and the cave ins that were occurring all over the mountain. 'Then how are we going to escape?' she paled as they all looked at major Armstrong.

'Were tunneling out. HERE!' he yelled punching the wall as a large tunnel as created. Soldiers were already evacuating through similar tunnels as they turned down the newest one the Major had created.

'Keep running!' Ed panted as Winry felt her body beginning to give out. Her legs just couldn't move after being trapped in that tube for who knew how long.

'Ed!' she gasped before her legs gave out and she fell. Ed doubled back and lifted her onto his shoulders carrying her over his back as they continued running. The booming faded as the sound a falling rock caught their attention. Their pace quickened as suddenly bright light blinded them.

Winry blinked, they were outside! The snow was reflecting the late afternoon sunlight as they turned to watch the mountain behind them collapse on itself. They dove behind a large boulder as a rush of air shot out of the end of the tunnel and it collapsed on itself.

Everyone stopped and looked at one another.

They had done it. They had defeated the homunculi and hoenheim.

Ed had found Winry.

Winry looked at Ed as they both smiled widely before Winry slid off of Ed's back and kissed him. Ed was surprised to say in the least before he realized that this was really the reason he had saved Winry. He loved her, everything about her, from her annoying nagging to take care of himself to her warm hugs and smiles.

'ahem' the colonel cleared his throat as Winry stepped back and turned to look at the colonel with an irritated look. Mustang just looked rather pleased with himself as he gave Al over to the Major. Winry check on Al, he was breathing and had a good pulse he just seemed to be unconscious as everyone clapped one another on the back.

No one mentioned Winry's new attributes.

'Let's get down from here!' Ed laughed as everyone agreed. It had been a long road but they had done it. They had conquered the unimaginable as Winry climbed onto Ed's back. The duo shared a smile as they marched down the mountain, a new tune in their heart and a new light ahead of them as they followed the survivors back into town.

…………………….

AN: haha! Its not done done yet I have a chapter or two more still left sorry for such the wait. I've moved into university now so I might as well finish what I can of my fanfictions! Review please!


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